


My Wife Is A Dragon

by ChronoXtreme



Series: The Road Taken [6]
Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Angst, Character Study, Corrin is best dragon, Don't worry Kana and Forrest you're fine too, Established Relationship, F/M, Fire Emblem Fates: Revelation Spoilers, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Invisible Kingdom | Revelation Route, Leo agrees with me, Romance, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, a touch of angst later on but still mostly fluff, better throw the angst tag up there just in case, just a little though (not nearly as bad as my other fic), seriously so much fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-28
Updated: 2016-08-26
Packaged: 2018-07-27 09:39:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 19,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7613086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChronoXtreme/pseuds/ChronoXtreme
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There were certain things Leo discovered about Corrin after they were married. Certain facts that he hadn’t known before, simply because their proximity wasn’t close enough to allow it.</p><p>Or: Leo finds out that there are amazing and tragic aspects of having a wife who can turn into a dragon.<br/></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Warm Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Love is like a friendship caught on fire. In the beginning a flame, very pretty, often hot and fierce, but still only light and flickering. As love grows older, our hearts mature and our love becomes as coals, deep-burning and unquenchable.   
>  \-- Bruce Lee

Leo prided himself on his knowledge. There was hardly a question that he couldn’t answer with perfect confidence, hardly a dilemma that he could not solve. Well, save one. However, that was in the past, and it had been resolved in the best way: a ring on his finger and a promise in his heart. But there were certain things Leo discovered about Corrin after they were married. Certain facts that he hadn’t known before, simply because their proximity wasn’t close enough to allow it.

One of those was the fact that she had an… irregular heartbeat.

“That’s far too fast to be healthy,” he murmured, his ear still pressed against her chest. He’d discovered the phenomenon when they’d laid down to go to bed, and his fingers had brushed against her neck. Instead of slow, even pulses, he’d felt rapid pushes against his fingertips. Not fast enough to concern him too much, but far faster than a normal human being.

Except Corrin was not a normal human being. She happened to be a dragon.

She chuckled a bit. “Well, now you know why the doctors fussed over me so much when we were little.” 

As a child, Corrin had been ill frequently, enough to frighten all of the Nohrian siblings on occasion. He remembered visits spent in fear, sitting by her bedside as she struggled to eat, to speak, sometimes even to breathe. Fevers, colds, and diseases that they had all overcome in childhood plagued her, only exacerbated by her quarantine in a damp castle with limited resources and physicians. Those times were long past, however, and the woman who sat next to him in bed was one of the healthiest and strongest people he knew.

“I wasn’t sick all the time, you know,” she continued, leaning back against the headboard of the bed. “Sometimes, the servants just shoved me in bed when they felt my pulse or my temperature. Eventually, they got used to it. Felicia could always tell when I had an actual fever.” A small grin quirked her pink lips up. “She claimed that if she could brew tea on my forehead, I needed to stay in bed.”

He chuckled at that. Then, almost reflexively, his hand brushed against her forehead, and he caught her restraining a laugh as he checked her temperature. Sure enough, it was hotter than normal, not hot enough to burn his palm. But she  _ was _ warm enough to make him pull back and check her cheeks to ensure they weren’t flushed from fever. 

That was the other fact that he’d discovered: Corrin’s warmth. 

It made sense, logically. Due to the faster heartbeat, she’d have a higher metabolism, which meant that her body would expel more heat. His medical studies and tutors had prepared him for those facts.

But they hadn’t prepared him for her warmth blanketing him, warmth that he secretly craved, especially on cold nights where strong winds blew through the Astral Plane. Her warmth meant that the blankets were thinner than he was accustomed to, and some nights they would only use the sheets to shelter themselves from the cold. Her warmth was a comfort, a reassurance that she was near, alive and safe.

It washed over him now, and he felt his muscles relax from their previous anxiety as she laid down in the sheets, her head resting on the pillow. “Well, Doctor Leo,” she teased. “What’s the diagnosis? Am I going to die in a fortnight?”

“You know that Elise was always the doctor when we played,” he reminded her. “And I was always the patient.”

She laughed, grinning as she remembered the many, many games of Doctor that Elise had conjured up when they were all younger. “She wanted to be a healer even then. And you always had the weirdest diseases like…” She pursed her lips. “Didn’t you have some sort of rare fever one time? One that makes people take all their clothes off?”

His face exploded red. “I don’t remember that.”

“No, I remember,” she said innocently, her crimson eyes narrowed as she nodded to herself. “Yeah, the patient gets all cold at first, but then the body gets confused and so they start taking all their clothes off because they think they’re warm.”

“That’s not a rare fever; that’s a possible symptom of hypothermia,” he corrected, his face still burning. 

“Oh, right,” she murmured. Then, she stared up at him and laughed. “Speaking of fevers…”

He sighed, closing his eyes. “Must you be like this?”

“Yes,” she said sweetly, and he blinked as she lifted her head from off the pillow, pressing her lips to his forehead. They were warm, as always, and he exhaled slowly as she pulled away with a grin. “Well, your temperature feels perfectly normal. Maybe a little cold.”

“Anything would feel cold compared to you,” he pointed out. “It’s only by comparison.”

She pursed her lips. “True. But still…” And he gasped as she threw her arms around him, snuggling up to him with her head pressed against his chest. “It gives me a great excuse to cuddle.”

His cheeks were burning again. But slowly, he wrapped his arms around her, closing his eyes as she relaxed in his hold, her body settling against him perfectly.

“Warm enough yet?” she asked, looking up at him with a sparkle in those lovely crimson eyes.

He nodded mutely, watching as she grinned triumphantly.

And if he listened close, he could hear her heart beating rapidly against his. He smiled as her breathing started to slow, a small yawn escaping her mouth as she curled up slightly, cradled in his arms.

She wasn’t just warm. She had a warm heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back, and this time with a collection of one shots! Since I balanced angst and fluff decently enough in my last fanfic on the site, I decided to swing the pendulum in the opposite direction and go for the sweetest, marshmallowy, tooth-rottingest fluff I could find. 
> 
> I have the reader Goldensummertime to thank for the premise for this fic. She commented on Breath of Life (my other fanfiction -- I recommend you read it before this, though it's certainly not required) that she always found that there was an opportunity that the developers missed: namely, Corrin's siblings reacting to the fact that she can, you know, turn into a dragon. Thus, this fic was born.
> 
> Leo secretly enjoys cuddling immensely, but he never lets on. Fortunately, Corrin is very good at catching on. :)


	2. Strength

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.” 
> 
> ― Lao Tzu

She was at his side, roaring as she charged into the fray. Axes and swords bit at her hide, but they were all deflected by the silvery armor that protected her, shielding her skull, chest, and legs. The Vallites didn’t scream as she tossed them back with a swipe of the claws and a swish of her tail. For some reason, that unnerved Leo greatly, more than he had expected. People  _ should _ scream as they were wounded or killed. 

The Vallites didn’t bleed either. It had only confirmed his suspicion that they were not truly alive, but simply corpses given some semblance of life, similar to the Faceless. Though it fascinated him, he had no time to research the unique necromancy that powered their bodies. War did not offer luxuries like research or capturing enemy forces. 

So instead, he fought, felling an invisible soldier with a burst from Brynhildr. Light shone from his hand, cupped carefully in his palm as Agnar charged forward alongside Corrin. A spearmaster leapt at her, silver naginata clutched in ephemeral fingers, but with a wave of his hand, gravity was reversed, pulling the soldier back and slamming it into the ground with enough force to break bones. 

_ That went well, _ she said warmly, her head turning to look at him. Her dragon form possessed no eyes, just a glassy blue expanse that covered the crown of her head. Yet he could tell she was looking at him from her posture, from the way her head bowed in gratitude.

He exhaled, then smirked. “We’re not done yet.”

A laugh passed through his mind, echoed by a strange braying noise from her jaws. The way that she could speak to him in this form still confused him, though the headaches were starting to fade.

Suddenly, a burst of fire erupted near Agnar’s legs, and Leo narrowed his eyes, sighting the sorcerer hiding behind the rock outcropping to his left. He nodded to her, and she brayed softly back, watching as he separated from her to take care of the threat. Brynhildr was warm in his hand as he rode, rounding the outcropping with the magic already charged in his hand. The sorcerer was eliminated quickly, and his corpse melted away as if it never existed, the purple flames engulfing him finally quenched.

He relaxed, closing the book. Then, he turned in the saddle, scanning the area for--

_ Thud. _

_ Pain _ erupted in his leg, and he screamed as Agnar neighed, rearing up on his hind legs. His eyes widened in shock as he saw the wooden shaft sticking out from his thigh, unprotected by armor. Agnar whinnied again, the sound echoing in his ears as the horse bolted, trying to escape the archer’s range. 

Leo did his best to hang on, but the arrow was sapping at his strength, and his hand was going numb, unable to grip the reins. Suddenly, he was no longer in the saddle, but tumbling down, down towards the ground. Steel crunched against dirt as he fell, and he howled as the arrow pressed even further into his leg. A horrible  _ jolt _ coursed through his body as he felt the steel arrowhead hit his femur, and he grasped his thigh, screaming as he tried his best to force back the darkness pressing around his vision. 

What felt like years later, the pain receded enough for him to breathe again, and he fumbled for his leg, staring down at it in horror.

Blood ran down his skin, slick and warm and dripping down into the grass. It seeped into the soft fabric of his leggings, and his fingers scrambled for the shaft, feeling the rough grain of the wood even through his gauntlets. He gasped as he tried to pull at the arrow, but no matter how hard he tugged, it just wouldn’t  _ come out… _

Logically, pulling out the arrow was the worst thing he could do for himself right now. It was the only thing stopping the flow of blood, the only plug for the vessel that was his body. But he was not thinking logically right now. Logic had escaped him, and he only wanted the arrow _ out.  _ If the arrow was out, he wouldn’t hurt. The pain would somehow… go away… 

“Leo!”

Her voice was distressed but normal, not the strange echo he’d expected. His vision swam as he tried to sit up, but he was so weak that he just collapsed back down to the earth, Brynhildr resting uselessly at his side.

“Leo!” she cried again, and he forced himself to focus as she fell to her knees at his side -- in human form. He instinctively panicked; though Corrin was a superb swordswoman, her dragon form was safer for her, offering her more protection than just a mere suit of armor. The Alpha Yato was held in a firm grip, though her free hand was shaking. He hissed as she touched the shaft of the arrow, and she winced apologetically. “Sorry! I’m so sorry!” 

“C-Corrin,” he whispered, licking his lips as he struggled to stay conscious. It was a miracle his whimper hadn’t turned into a scream. 

“Don’t worry,” she said quickly, pressing a protective hand on his shoulder. “I’ll get you to Sakura.” Her eyes darted up, scanning the battlefield. Her eyes relaxed a touch; apparently, the Hoshidan priestess was nearby. Slowly, gently, she tucked Brynhildr into his right arm, then pulled his left over her shoulders. “Ready?” she murmured, her eyes soft as she looked down at him.

He nodded weakly, then gasped in pain as her other arm slipped under his knees, lifting him from the ground in a fluid, easy movement that defied her size. “Don’t worry,” she repeated softly, striding across the ground, her bare feet parting blades of grass. “I’ve got you.”

Though he had always known that Corrin was strong, it still caught him by surprise just  _ how _ strong she was. Wearing his armor, with the height and stature of a Nohrian prince, he easily weighed over two hundred pounds. Yet he was carried as gingerly as if he was a newborn babe, his head resting on her shoulder. It was an embarrassing posture, but he was so drained he didn’t care. All he did was focus on his breathing, trying to ignore the horrible pain in his leg.

“I’ve got you,” she breathed gently, her breath caressing his cheek. “See? Sakura is right there. You’re going to be just fine.”

His only response was to curl against her, tightening his grip around her neck. 

They walked for a long while, long enough that his vision grew dizzy and his arms began to weaken their hold. But her grip never wavered, and she constantly asked him how he was feeling. “Are you staying awake?” she asked, her voice still clear over the sounds of battle.

“B-Barely,” he admitted weakly, his throat and lips so dry. “Losing… blood.”

“I know.” Despite her soothing words, he could hear the fear in her voice. 

“Oh! P-Prince Leo!”

He gritted his teeth as Corrin deposited him gently on a rock, her hand reaching to interlace her fingers with his. “What can I do to help, Sakura?” she asked, and Leo watched mutely as the pink haired princess approached with a sun festal in her fingers. 

“N-Nothing major. Except… maybe, you c-could break the arrow,” Sakura whispered softly. Corrin nodded, then reached down with her free hand. 

“Ready?” she whispered.

He sucked in a deep breath, then nodded. 

The pain that ripped through his leg made him gasp, but he clutched her hand tightly, drawing on her strength. The rest of the arrow was extracted slowly, painfully, and his leg was healed with the festal. Yet it would be a while before he could return to the battlefield; festals and staves mended torn flesh and broken bones, but recovering blood was something harder. Elise had explained it to him once, but he couldn’t quite remember the details; the world was still spinning dizzily around him, black rimming his field of vision.

“Would you like me to stay?” Corrin asked softly. 

He did. But a leader of an army couldn’t be forced to linger with her husband for too long. “Go,” he murmured tiredly, squeezing her hand. “I’ll be fine.”

“Okay,” she whispered, pressing her lips to his cheek. “Take care.”

“Stay on your toes,” he murmured, then let her slip from his grasp. Already, he felt weaker as she ran off, the Alpha Yato glowing in the fractured sunlight. Little pangs of worry struck at his stomach, making it twist and knot as she cut through the enemy forces. 

But she was strong, and he drew comfort and reassurance from that fact. Somehow, her sheer presence made him stronger as well; less afraid, less hesitant. And it wasn’t just him. Her army hadn’t followed her because she was only a powerful soldier. She inspired them, rallied them, led them. She was a beacon they could follow.

She wasn’t just strong. She  _ was _ strength.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's what you get for being tanky and slow, Leo. Just kidding (though his speed stat gives me nightmares; thank goodness for Lifetaker).
> 
> I imagine Corrin's speech in dragon form to sound like the Animal Gods from Princess Mononoke: reverb speech with animal noises underneath. I tried to describe that well, so hopefully it doesn't come off as too weird. :/
> 
> Anyway, I have the feeling that if he weren't in so much pain, Leo would be stupid prideful enough to refuse Corrin's help, much less want her to carry him halfway across a battlefield. Good thing that arrow hurt. (I am an unabashed sadist when it comes to writing. I do believe it's a requirement of the profession.)


	3. Water

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “In one drop of water are found all the secrets of all the oceans; in one aspect of You are found all the aspects of existence.” 
> 
> ― Kahlil Gibran

When they’d reunited after he’d ridden to the Bottomless Canyon to join her army, Leo had asked Corrin about her dragon form. Silly questions, he thought now, but only because they were spoken from legitimate ignorance.

_“Can you... breathe fire?” he asked hesitantly. Vague memories of the storybooks he’d read when he was younger had prompted the question: tales of knights fighting dragons who could engulf entire villages in flame._

_“No, no,” she said, laughing a little. “I’m a little, um… I’m a little of the opposite.”_

She wasn’t fire. She was water.

He watched her now as he sat at the edge of the amber spring, staring as her entire dragon form submerged itself to claw out the ore at the bottom. Though he easily could have done the same amount of work with Brynhildr, simply changing the gravity of the pieces, she enjoyed this. With her powerful lungs, she could hold her breath for a long time, letting her mine underwater more efficiently than most others. She’d declined to share that piece of information with him when she’d dove for ore the first time, and he’d nearly had a panic attack when she didn’t surface after fifteen minutes.

Suddenly, the surface of the water burst, and Corrin’s head popped out with a triumphant roar. Her claws deposited the ore she’d harvested on the shore next to him. _That should do us for the next few weeks,_ she said proudly.

He nodded, then smiled as a soft blue glow surrounded her, her body shrinking as she turned back. A blue dragonstone was clutched in her bare fingers as she emerged fully from the pool, wearing her silvery armor. It had been a gift from his father, one that had surprised all of his siblings. Garon had never tried to acknowledge Corrin’s existence before, much less give her presents. It was so different from their own suits of armor: silver and bright, not black and gilded with gold or trimmed with royal purple.

She wrung out her hair slowly, then combed her fingers through it. Droplets of water cascaded down the plates of steel, falling to the ground. Even more dotted her face, a mixture of springwater and the natural condensation of returning to human form. He found himself staring, transfixed as a bead of water trailed down her skin, hugging the curve of her cheek until it disappeared under the hollow of her throat.

The temptation to follow that bead with his lips was almost irrationally powerful. As well as his annoyance at the fact that she was wearing armor, preventing him from fulfilling that desire.

 _Wait._ His whole body tensed. _What am I thinking?_

“Leo?” she said, her voice tinged with concern as she stared at him. “Is something wrong?”

His cheeks burned, and he quickly folded his arms behind his back. _Control yourself!_ “Nothing,” he said evenly.

“You sure?” she asked carefully. “Your face is all red…”

“Everything’s fine,” he said, managing to not stutter as she strode towards him. With her gaze fixed so intently on him, he considered that a massive victory. “It’s simply the heat.” That was true, at the very least. It was a hot day in the Astral Plane today, and the sun was bearing down on both of them, making him sweat. He tried to convince himself of that instead of admit that he was sweating because he was nervous.

“Oh.”

He relaxed, his arms hanging at his sides. “We have a strategy meeting in fifteen minutes. We should--”

A very familiar, very _dangerous_ grin twisted Corrin’s lips, and he froze as she strode towards him. “Hm… An overheated Leo. What can we do to fix this problem?”

Instinctively, he backed away, then grimaced as he realized that his movements had placed him at the very edge of the spring. Her grin only widened as she stalked forward, dragonstone still held in one hand. “C-Corrin,” he stammered, holding his hands up. “Wait--”

His plea turned into a yelp as she pushed gently but firmly against his chest, sending him flying into the water. He sputtered, gasping for breath as he splashed around the small pool. His bangs, normally restrained by their natural curl, now hung in his face, and he had to flip them upwards, coughing out the water that he’d inhaled when he’d taken his impromptu bath.

Gritting his teeth, eyes narrowed in a glare, he was ready to deliver a truly biting remark when all the heat left his blood.

Corrin was running towards the pool, the dragonstone in her hand glowing.

“Corrin, _no_ \--”

A giant splash sent him under the waves again, and he flailed frantically, trying to reorient himself in the madness. Something hard and warm brushed against him, and he desperately latched onto it, then exhaled in relief as it lifted above the water, letting him breathe once more. As he regained the ability to inhale, he realized that he was clinging to Corrin’s neck. She was in dragon form, of course, treading water easily in the deep spring. Though he was a perfectly good swimmer, he found himself resting against her neck, coughing up the last trickles of water still in his lungs.

A small laugh echoed in his mind, and he glared as her neck turned, letting him stare at her face. _Sorry, but… at least you’re cooler now, right?_

“Gods,” he muttered, pressing his face into the plated armor that protected her neck. “Corrin, I wasn’t flushed because I was hot, I was flushed because--” He realized what he was saying in horror and promptly cut himself off, trying to force the blush off his face. To his despair, it wasn’t working at all.

 _Because what?_ she asked innocently.

A small groan escaped his mouth. “Because I… was admiring you.” That was a severe understatement, of course, but he hoped it would do.

 _Oh._ A long pause. _Wait, what? What do you mean, admiring me?_

“Your…” Gods, what was he even _saying?_ “I was admiring your features.”

Another long pause. He waited anxiously, staring at the blue glassy expanse of her head. There was no way to judge the expression on her face, and she was completely silent.

Then, softly, almost meekly, _You mean… you thought I looked… good just now?_

Now his _ears_ were burning. “Y-Yes.”

Suddenly, a strange hacking bray passed through her jaws, but pure laughter, sweet and genuine reverberated in his head. _Oh Leo! Why didn’t you just_ tell _me?_

“Well, I didn’t expect you to toss me into the spring,” he muttered.

 _That was impulsive,_ she admitted. _But… will you accept my apology if I say something?_

He blinked. “What is it?”

_You, um… look really good right now too._

His lips pursed as he stared down at himself, trying to analyze what was different about the situation at hand. Then, he blushed as he realized that the white shirt he was wearing was completely plastered to his skin, translucent from the water. Slowly, he pressed his face back against her neck, trying to hide the massive splotches of red creeping up his neck. “Corrin…”

 _I know._ Her voice was bashful. _Sorry._

“Don’t… Don’t be.” He sighed. “We need to get going.”

_Strategy meeting. Right._

Neither of them moved.

“Corrin--”

Suddenly, he was no longer clinging to the neck of a dragon, but instead had his arms draped over Corrin’s shoulders. She smiled at him softly, and his heart nearly burst out of his chest as her eyes slid closed, her face drawing closer.

A thousand protests easily popped up in his mind. They had to attend that strategy meeting; Corrin shirking her duties as leader of the joint Nohrian Hoshidan forces was not something trivial. And if someone discovered him kissing his wife in a pool of water, both of them soaked and clinging to each other to stay afloat, rumors would easily spread in the mess hall. No doubt exaggerated twice, first by Odin, then by Niles. Neither was especially preferable.

Yes, there were a thousand reasons why he shouldn’t kiss Corrin. He found he cared for none of them.

_Damn it all._

His hands grasped her face, stroking her cheekbones with his thumbs. And with a smile, she wrapped her arms around his neck as he pressed his mouth to hers, all inhibitions and embarrassment forgotten.

The taste of the springwater on her lips was cold and shockingly sweet.

Eventually, they parted for breath, and Leo exhaled softly, shifting his lips to her neck. He pressed a gentle kiss to the edge of her jaw, closing his eyes as he tasted the beads of water trickling down her cheeks and throat. Her skin was delightfully warm, contrasting the chill of the spring. She relaxed against him, her head resting against his shoulder as they floated there, his arms tight around her.

Then, eventually: “Leo. We’re going to be late.”

And he nearly exploded in embarrassment.

He had kissed his wife in the middle of a spring, where everyone could see them, they were both soaking wet, gods what was he _thinking,_ those rumors would surely spread like wildfire, he was such a fool, idiot idiot idiot--

Her laughter shocked him out of those thoughts, sheepish and clear and joyful.

Somehow, they managed to drag themselves to the main pavilion on time, fully dressed despite his fingers fumbling every single attempt to buckle his armor or pull on his gauntlets and greaves. He was still checking his collar to see if it was inside out before sitting down next to Corrin, trying to look somewhat composed.

“Your hair is wet,” Takumi commented absently as he leaned back in the seat next to him. “You seriously took a bath in the middle of the day?”

Leo did not respond except to stare pointedly at Xander as he began the discussion of supplies and foraging and who would take the next few patrols.

Yet he couldn’t hold back a blush as he caught a stray bead of water trickling down Corrin’s neck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Leo, you sinner, you. 
> 
> Everyone is entitled to their own interpretation of the character, but I don't think Leo is the type of person who's very affectionate in public. For one, he's easily flustered (Exhibit A: Chapter 1 of Fates. Exhibit B: this chapter), and for two, he's not a very open person. I have the feeling he's very loving, passionate, and hopelessly attracted to Corrin, but he mostly expresses this when the two are in private. If they aren't, he simply dissolves into an adorable gooshy puddle of nerves and embarrassment. 
> 
> Note: I hope I didn't imply that Corrin can breathe underwater (probably not canon, but who knows). She just has a much higher lung capacity than a regular human, so she can hold her breath underwater longer (that's probably a gross misconception of basic animal biology, but I'll stick to it). This translates to super-not-drowning skills. 
> 
> Anyway, enjoy this extremely self-indulgent chapter, if you can. :) Thanks for reading!


	4. Helpless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "The suspense: the fearful, acute suspense: of standing idly by while the life of one we dearly love is trembling in the balance; the racking thoughts that crowd upon the mind, and make the heart beat violently, and the breath come thick, by the force of the images they conjure up before it; the desperate anxiety to be doing something to relieve the pain, or lessen the danger, which we have no power to alleviate..."
> 
> ― Charles Dickens

Leo was alone on the battlefield.

That was his first mistake. He never should have left her behind. But in the chaos, he’d surged forward, cutting a way through the side battalion of Vallites so that Xander could lead the charge with Prince Ryoma. And Corrin was certainly capable as a warrior; she would not be helpless if she were by herself.

He exhaled as he closed Brynhildr, tucking it into the satchel that protected the ancient sacred book. All had gone according to plan, and he relaxed, staring up at the broken Vallite sky. Solitude was a rare feeling on the battlefield, one that he relished. While fighting with comrades was safer, he found the peace of being alone comforting, even amidst all the violence. And--

A horrifying _scream_ suddenly pierced his ears, and his heart dropped in his chest as he heard the accompanying roar.

That was Corrin!

Quickly, he yanked his reins around, urging Agnar into a gallop. The horse dutifully raced across the battleground, though he was still too slow -- anything would be too slow, at this point. A thousand frightening images flooded his mind: Corrin lying on the ground, bleeding out. Corrin unarmed, staring down a berserker or a samurai. Corrin’s body greeting him when he finally managed to arrive, crimson eyes lifeless and glassy as he fell to her side, screaming--

He forced them down, along with the lump rising in his throat. This was no time to assume worst-case scenario. He had to be rational, be calm.

Rationality and calm were both forgotten as he finally found her.

She was still in dragon form, but her head was drooped, and he could see the strain in her body as she struggled to claw at the forces surrounding her. She roared, but it wasn’t the triumphant cry he was used to. His heart wrenched as she snarled, snapping her jaws as a Vallite jabbed at her with a spear. Her tail swiped at him, but missed, and the spear managed to find the soft flesh of her neck. Massive droplets of blood spilled on the ground, and she reared on her hind legs, bellowing in pain.

She’d been gravely injured. The scent of her blood burned his nostrils.

And he gritted his teeth as he approached, life already flooding his palms. Yet while he normally loved the sensation of Brynhildr’s power, he wanted something more destructive. He craved Ragnarok, Mjolnir, something that would burn and tear and utterly _destroy_ anything that dare lay hand on his wife, his Corrin.  He would erase them, char them until there was nothing left, nothing but cinders. Yet he had no such magic.

But Brynhildr would do.

“ _Stiga!”_ he bellowed, and with a wave of his hand, trees burst from the ground, ripping apart the Vallites. There was no screams, no cries of agony, so he supplied his own, roaring as he cast the spell over and over and over again. Eventually, the field was silent except for Corrin’s whimpers, and his anger faded, leaving only fear.

Her name tore from his lips as he slid off his horse and ran towards her, noting the way her wing shielded her left side even as he approached. “Let me see,” he said frantically, and reluctantly she folded her wing back against her body, a mournful bray slipping past her jaws.

His body felt like all the blood in his veins had been replaced with ice water as he stared at her side.

The silver plates of armor that protected her were jagged and torn, as if someone had hacked into them brutally with a saw. Yet no ordinary blade could pierce her hide without brutal strength.

No blade save for a Wyrmslayer.

The cruel sword was still embedded in her flesh, and a frightening amount of blood streamed down around it, dripping from the jagged edges. Corrin whimpered as he approached and pressed his hands against her side, trying futilely to stem the flow of blood. His gloves were soon warm and wet, and he cringed as she quivered, her legs wobbling with the effort to stay upright. _L-Leo,_ her voice whispered in his mind. _I’m… I’m sorry…_

“Don’t worry,” he said firmly, managing to keep the shaking out of his voice. His hands closed around the hilt, and she trumped out a cry, yet did not pull away. She understood as well as he did why the sword had to be removed, and quickly.

Normally, he would have left the weapon in, as she would lose too much blood if he pulled it out. But Wyrmslayers were different. Not only were they oversized and sharper than normal, designed to slay dragons and down wyverns, they were coated with dragonsbane. If he didn’t pull the sword out now, she would die of poisoning far quicker than from blood loss.

He tried to be reassured of that fact as he steeled himself. “On three,” he said, staring at her head. She nodded, and  a whole tremor coursed through her body as he tightened his grip around the hilt. “One. Two.”

_I’m sorry._

“Three!” And he yanked up and out, tearing the blade out in one motion and throwing it as far away from her as he could. It clattered to the ground, and he quickly pressed himself against the ragged hole it had left, trying to staunch the blood leaking out her side. Her roar rattled his jaw, and he squeezed his eyes shut, holding to her tightly as she quivered and shook.

Blue light suffused his vision, and he exhaled shakily as she transformed back into a human, resting against him limply. His armor grew wet as condensation beaded on her body; whenever she switched between the two forms, she was always misted with water. Her face was so pale he could have thrown cream on it and it wouldn’t have changed color.

Blood still leaked from her side, and he hastily pressed a hand to her wound, wincing as she gasped in pain. “A-Ah…”

The poison still lingered in her veins. She needed a stave, something that would heal her wound and purify her blood. Yet he couldn’t do either. His breathing quickened as she clung to him, her hands trembling from pain. The blood that coated his armor smeared onto her face, a mockery of a healthy natural blush. _I can’t… I can’t…_

_I can’t save her._

_Stop that,_ the practical side of his brain ordered. _Have you forgotten your studies?_

He couldn’t heal her, not with a festal or a stave. But he could take her to someone who could.

First, he had to make sure she didn’t bleed out.

He had no bandages, not even any water. Regret ate at his stomach, making bile rise in his mouth. Of all times to refuse to carry concoctions or elixirs…

_Then make do with something else._

His fingers brushed against the ragged cape on her back, and he quickly tore it off, pulling away from her to wrap it around her waist. She whimpered as he stretched it tight, tying it straight over the wound. “Put pressure here,” he ordered, lifting a trembling hand to the knot. She nodded wearily, and he found himself supporting her weight as she pressed her hand to the makeshift bandage. It wasn’t the most sanitary dressing in the world, but it would do.

“Agnar!” he yelled, and thankfully the horse trotted towards him, head low, as if he could sense Leo’s fear and pain. Both arms tight around her waist, he lifted her into the saddle, then mounted Agnar himself. Desperately, he scanned the horizon, searching for a head of pink hair or blond curls. Someone _had_ to be close by, someone who could save Corrin.

 _There._ The green glow of a healing staff caught his eye, and with a shout, Agnar was galloping, Corrin’s body thumping against his chest. One hand held shakily to the reins, the other pressing against her back. He curled his body around her instinctively, enfolding her as best as he could in a rough, one armed embrace that sheltered her from harm.

It was too little, too late. But he had to press on.

One of her hands, small and warm and trembling, reached around his armor and clutched his collar. “Leo,” she whispered, her voice so weak that his grip tightened around her in instinct.

“Don’t speak,” he said, weaving Agnar around trees and broken rocks. He caught sight of the triage site, and he felt a small part of him relax. Elise and Princess Sakura were both there, as well as Felicia and Jakob.

“I’m… sorry,” she murmured, and his heart skipped a beat as her grip on his collar weakened, her hand falling to her side. “I let… you down…”

 _No._ Agnar was pulled to a halt, and he hastily slipped out of the saddle. She tumbled into his arms, so light yet so heavy as he cradled her to his chest, pressing her hand back over the wound. Blood had dribbled down her side in gruesomely wide streaks, staining her bright silver armor. She was so pale, so tiny, so fragile in his arms as he stared at her in that moment, struggling to breathe. To live.

“C-Corrin?” a timid voice whispered.

And quickly he turned, running towards the healers. Elise’s violet eyes widened as he approached, Corrin limp in his arms. “She’s been poisoned with a Wyrmslayer,” he explained breathlessly, setting her down on a ragged blanket that had been spread on the rocky ground. Elise nodded instantly, looking at Sakura as they both raised their hands over Corrin. Green healing magic flowed from their staves into her body, and Leo’s hands trembled as she inhaled raggedly, a small whimper slipping past her white, thin lips.

“Is there… Is there anything I can do?” he breathed, cradling her head in his hands.

“The b-bleeding sh-should stop soon,” Sakura stammered, her face grim as she waved her festal over Corrin again. “B-But the p-poison…”

“She’ll be fine, Leo!” Elise said with a cheerful grin, waving her Mend over Corrin for another pass. “Don’t worry!”

 _Don’t worry?_ That was like telling the sun to go in reverse, or the sky to turn green, or bringing someone back from the dead--

His vision suddenly went blurry. And her voice, whispered so weakly, echoed in his mind. _“I let… you down.”_

Those words sounded far too much like a goodbye.

“Prince Leo?” Felicia asked softly, a lesser staff clutched in her hands. “Are you injured? There’s a lot of… um…”

He looked down at himself, his hands trembling under Corrin’s skull. His armor, normally black and gold, was smeared with blood, _her_ blood, covering his entire front and arms. The scent suddenly attacked his nose, cloying around him, drowning him.

“It’s not mine,” he whispered, turning back to look at Corrin’s limp body. Tears burned at his eyes, and all he wanted to do was scream, curl around her and shelter her, cradle her, breathe life into her somehow. He could do it, if he had a Nosferatu: he could cast it on himself and heal her, granting her his own life force. Camilla had warned him a thousand times to never do it, that the spellcaster often died before he even healed the target, but at least he could do _something_ besides just sit here and watch.

But he was not a simple spellcaster. And he had no Nosferatu.

Instead, he inhaled deeply and stroked Corrin's hair, pushing down the ache in his chest and hands. He couldn’t break, not now. Not when everyone needed him to be strong. He was no longer just a second prince of Nohr: he was husband of the leader of their army. He had to set the example of unity, of strength, of capability.

Yet, as he stared at Elise and Sakura’s work, watching as they so effortlessly mended torn flesh and sealed the stomach wall and repaired ruptured organs, he did not feel capable. He did not feel strong.

He felt so utterly, hopelessly helpless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello darkness, my old friend.
> 
> "If you were to go someplace far away... I don't know what I would do. A world without you has no meaning to me. Just remember that." -- Leo, Japanese S Rank skinship line. 
> 
> Don't worry, buddy. I remembered, in the worst way. :D (Spoiler alert: she lives). I don't know why I keep on doing this to Leo. Goodness knows the poor boy deserves some peace and rest. But peace and rest rarely make for interesting stories, and I wanted to explore why Wyrmslayers were so dangerous to dragons. Falchion I can understand, because that's a holy sword blessed by Naga and whatnot, but why are Wyrmslayers so bad? In the end, I surmised that it's a combination of the large size, jagged blade that is designed to lodge itself in the target (as Corrin displayed. Sorry, hun), and dragonsbane poison that either cripples or kills the dragon in question. 
> 
> Sometimes, being a dragon has downsides as well as benefits. Leo learned this lesson the hard way.


	5. Madness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Sing with me a song of silence and blood  
> The rain falls, but can't wash away the mud  
> Within my ancient heart dwells madness and pride  
> Can no one hear my cry?"
> 
> \-- Lost in Thoughts All Alone, Third Verse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a spoiler warning for you: this covers some details from the Hidden Truths DLC. I tried to not make them super obvious, but since the entire chapter is based around it, not much I can really do. This won't be too much of a spoiler, but I thought I'd place this here in case you aren't willing to risk it.
> 
> That said, happy reading!

The lack of her warmth was what woke him.

His eyes glanced at the empty sheets blearily, then slowly examined the room. She wasn’t sitting on the edge of the bed, but the door to the hallway was ajar. Had she gone to the restroom then? Yet something gnawed at his stomach, something that told him that there was something wrong, something missing. Yato was still leaning against the bedside, ready to be grabbed at a moment’s notice.

But her dragonstone was gone.

Instantly, he took Brynhildr from off the nightstand and threw back the sheets and blankets, shivering at the sudden cold -- she provided more warmth than she knew -- and left the bedroom, bare feet padding down the empty halls.

The door opened with a creak, and he quickly folded his arms, Brynhildr tucked to his chest as he stared at the Astral Plane, shivering in the cold breeze.

Then, he looked down, and his heart ached.

A dragon lay on the ground in the dim moonlight, her head resting in the tall blades of grass. No sound came from her jaws, and she didn’t turn to look at him.

If she were in human form, he’d see the thick bandages that she wore around her waist still. While the wound had mostly healed, and her blood had been purged of poison, she still had to recover from the way it had sapped her strength and robbed her of breath. His chest tightened as he remembered her lying on the ground, her breath passing her lips in strained wheezes.

 _She’s safe now,_ he reminded himself, swallowing over the lump in his throat. And slowly, he climbed down the ladder. He shivered as he felt the cold dewy grass beneath his feet, but pressed on, approaching slowly so he wouldn’t startle her. “Corrin?” he murmured.

There was no voice in his head, but she did let out a slight purr at the sound of his voice, and he took that as a sign that he could approach. So slowly, even though the grass was wet, he settled himself at her side, leaning against her for warmth. Brynhildr was still cradled against him, and he ran his fingers up and down the spine of the ancient tome as he shivered.

With a leathery rustle, he watched as her wing slowly spread out from her side. Gently, she placed it over him, and he relaxed as he felt the warmth and blood race through the taut skin. “Thank you,” he murmured, staring at her.

She still didn’t respond with her human voice, but she let out a soft bray, almost a cry. He was struck by just how mournful it sounded, how lonely. So gently, slowly, he reached out and began stroking her neck, feeling the warmth of her armor against his fingers.

They remained in silence for a long while, him sheltered from the wind and cold by her wing, she purring in what he hoped was contentment as he ran his hand up and down her neck, feeling the hard metallic plates and the soft, smooth skin underneath. He did not ask why she came out here alone in the middle of the night, and he didn’t ask why she wouldn’t speak to him. He simply let her be, hoping to comfort her by touch.

And eventually, he watched as she turned her neck to face him, the shiny blue crown of her head shining in the pale light. _Thank you._

“Nightmare?” he murmured, pressing a soft kiss to that blue crown. The material was glassy yet warm beneath his lips. In this form she was so hard, yet warm. It contrasted the softness of her human form so strangely.

 _No._ A soft exhale misted him with warm breath, and he watched in surprise as she carefully rested her head in his lap, her antlers brushing his arms. _I just… was lost in thought._

“I see,” he said quietly. He wouldn’t ask her what it was; he’d learned long ago that secrets given were a thousand times more precious than secrets pried. So instead, he stroked her head, dedicating himself to memorizing every smooth curve and rough angle with his fingers. Her purr slipped out her mouth again, and he smiled as his whole body vibrated from the motion.

For a long moment, the two of them sat under the moonlight, his hand running over her face and slipping down to her jaw in a steady rhythm. He felt nervous, waiting for her to begin, but for now, silence reigned between them.

Then: _I’m sorry. I just…_ She inhaled through her jaws, and his hand paused. _It’s simpler to be like this. It’s not as complicated._

“Is it easier?” he asked softly.

 _No. Just simpler._ A soft laugh echoed in his brain, though her physical body made no sound except for a throaty rumble in her chest. _I’m sorry. It sounds crazy, I know._

“What’s wrong?” he finally asked.

Another long pause, and he feared he’d asked the wrong question.

Then, he froze as she began to glow, her body shrinking. With a soft sigh, Corrin sat up, her hair falling in lightly tousled waves down her back. Her nightgown was damp from the condensation of the transformation, and she shivered as the breeze swept through the tall grass. He reached for her to pull her close, but she didn’t respond. A lump rose in his throat as he pulled his hands back. Why was she so distant?

“Leo,” she murmured, her arms wrapping around her body to hug at herself. Her back was bowed, as if she was shouldering a heavy load, and her lips trembled. “I… I’m scared.”

Instantly, he reached for Brynhildr. “Corrin--”

“N-Not of enemies,” she correctly quickly, shaking her head. “I…” Her whole body suddenly shuddered, and he placed his hands on her shoulders, steadying her. “Leo…” A bitter chuckle escaped her. “I’m going to sound crazy.”

“You have never sounded crazy to me,” he said solemnly. “Now, please tell me. What’s frightening you like this?”

“I…” Her eyes suddenly shone in the dim light, and he realized with an ache in his chest that she was crying. “Leo, I’m scared I’m going to go mad.”

Truth be told, he hadn’t expected those words.

“Why?” he asked. Curiosity and pain both gnawed at his stomach.

The tears started to slide down her cheeks, and she rubbed at the dragonstone in her hands. “I-I… I’ve been thinking about what Azura told us about Anankos. He’s insane, and he’s lived for so long…” Her hands curled around the stone, shutting out the blue glow. “What if… What if I’ll turn out the same? I’m a dragon too. What if I live for so long I go crazy?” She bit her lip, shivering again. “What if in a thousand years, it’s not Anankos that people are fighting? What if it’s _me?”_

The words made his entire body tense. She spoke the truth: Anankos was mad, only seeking to destroy the world because of his insanity. And a being that was immortal, that could endure for thousands of years, could have their sanity unravel so easily, so slowly and brutally.

But this was _Corrin_ he was thinking about. And the idea of her devolving into the monster that Anankos was nearly made him laugh.

Slowly, he raised his hands from her shoulders to her cheeks, drying her tears. “Corrin,” he murmured, his voice painfully weak in the night. “You’re not going to go mad.”

“Y-You can’t know that,” she whispered, her voice agonized. “I… I could outlive you by thousands of years, Leo. I… I could go crazy just _thinking_ about that.”

“So don’t,” he whispered.

She froze.

Softly, he pressed his lips to her forehead, hoping that the small gesture would bring her peace. “Corrin,” he murmured softly, stroking her cheeks with his thumbs. The contrast between her skin and the hardened shell of her dragon form was striking, and he let his eyes drift closed as he felt her softness. “You are not just a dragon. You are human, like us. Like me.”

“B-But… this is just a different form,” she protested. “I mean, look at my ears! And a normal human can’t carry you across a battlefield! I…” He froze as she trembled, burying her face in her hands, fingers brushing against his. “I’m a _freak!”_

And he heard whispering in his mind, whispers from maids and servants in the Northern Fortress. _She’s not natural, that one. Ears like an elf and eyes like a demon’s? That’s not natural._

He had hated those words, spoken out of fear and ignorance. He loathed them now.

So, roughly, he yanked her into an embrace, crushing her in his arms. They were so close he could feel her heartbeat against his skin, hammering in her chest so fast that he could barely feel the spaces between the pulses.

“You are no freak,” he murmured fiercely in her ear. “ _Never_ think of yourself as a freak.” She quivered in his grip, and he squeezed his eyes shut as he felt his shirt grow damp. His breathing shook but he swallowed thickly, stroking her hair. “Gods, Corrin, you’re _wonderful.”_

Her head rubbed against his chest, and he realized she was shaking it. “I-I don’t want to outlive you,” she choked out, and he enfolded her as best he could as she wept against him, clinging to his shirt with a deathgrip. “I don’t want to go insane!”

He let her release her tears. To stifle them would be to stifle her pain, and it needed to be set free. So he stroked her hair and back, trying to force down the ache in his chest as she cried against him. The night air around them was frigid, but she was so warm in his arms, even with the gusts of wind. He curled himself around her, sheltering her from the cold darkness until she was ready to emerge.

And slowly, she pulled away, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. “I’m sorry, Leo,” she murmured, her red eyes staring at the grass. The dragonstone lay there, pulsing with a soft blue light. “I…”

He cupped her cheek in his hand, staring at her intently. “There is more humanity in you than you believe,” he said quietly, looking her in the eye.

She swallowed. “Wh-What?”

“Was your mother a dragon?” Leo asked carefully.

Corrin wrapped her arms around her chest. “N-No. At least, I don’t… I don’t think so. Ryoma and Hinoka never told me anything like that…”

“Then at least half of you is human,” he said softly.

“But what about my father?” Corrin asked. “What if…”

He sighed, then smiled. “I would rather focus on your humanity than question it, Corrin. But that is beside the point.” He stared at the dragonstone in the grass, then reached for it. “May I?”

“It’s… attuned to my soul,” Corrin whispered softly, her voice hesitant. “I…”

“I understand,” he said softly, pulling his hand back.

She plucked it from the grass, staring at it for a long moment. Then she touched his hand, extending his palm towards her. “I trust you,” she said warmly, then placed the stone in his grasp.

Slowly, his fingers curled around the blue stone. A soft gasp escaped him as he felt just how _warm_ it was. Pulses of heat flooded him as he cradled the stone, staring at it in wonder. It was almost like he was holding her heart in his hands, and he realized that he felt almost the same as when he cupped the charge from Brynhildr. Yet this was stronger, purer, more organic in nature. It was as if Brynhildr was a pale illusion, a clear forgery made by an apprentice while this was a painting by the master.

This was the feeling of _life._ It was sacred, brilliant, glowing, and he almost felt perverse for holding it. His fingers, dirty and bloodstained as they were, shouldn’t hold something so precious, so pure.

He looked up, then extended the stone to her. Slowly, she took it, pressing it to her chest as if it was a comfort. “Corrin,” he said gently. “I don’t believe you’ll go mad.”

“Why?” she whispered. Her voice was almost broken in the darkness.

“Because I believe in your humanity,” he said softly. “But more than that, when I held that stone, I felt--” Suddenly, his throat swelled, and he had to wipe his eyes in order to continue.

“L-Leo?” she asked, her voice frightened.

“I felt _peace,_ ” he whispered. “And stability.”

Her eyes widened.

“Even if you are half-dragon, I believe that your humanity will preserve your sanity,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to her forehead. ”As for your longevity, you aren’t the only one with dragon blood in their veins. The lifespan of the Nohrian royal family has been noted to be significantly longer than most. It’s highly likely that we’ll both live together for a long time.”

“R-Really?” she whispered.

He nodded solemnly. “I don’t want you to be burdened with these worries, Corrin. You already possess far too much.” The weight of being a leader of this army pressed on her more than he’d ever hoped, and he’d seen that burden in her eyes in rare moments of darkness.

“I feel silly,” she admitted, and her cheeks nearly glowed with the strength of her blush. “Coming out here, and transforming and--”

“Don’t,” he interrupted, squeezing her hand. “But Corrin, I want you to promise me something.”

She nodded slowly.

“Don’t feel like you have to endure this alone,” he said softly. “When you worry or feel fear, come to me. I don’t care what hour of the day or night.” He pressed his lips to her fingers, feeling the rough callouses formed from years of swordplay. “I swore to devote my life to your happiness. Let me keep that promise.”

“I-I will,” she said thickly.

They both shivered as another wave of cold air washed over them, and she stood up quickly, grasping his hand. He let her pull him from the cold hard ground, and for the first time that night, she actually smiled despite the fact that her teeth were chattering. “Sh-should we g-go back inside?”

He nodded silently, grasping Brynhildr in one hand and holding tightly to hers with his other.

They walked in darkness towards their room, and he set Brynhildr down on the nightstand once they entered. Corrin placed her dragonstone next to it, then shivered as she slipped in the covers, huddling under the blankets. He lay down next to her on his side, staring down at her as she rubbed at her arms. “Cold?” he murmured.

She nodded, and he wrapped his arms around her. It was a loose embrace, not at all like the rough hug he’d pulled her into outside. She relaxed, looking up at him with soft crimson eyes. “How did I manage to deserve someone like you?” she whispered, a soft smile turning up her lips.

He stared at her for a long moment, simply lying there in her warmth. He wanted to ask himself the same question about her.

Instead, he propped himself up on his elbows, leaning over her. “You taught me a lesson,” he murmured.

“What lesson?” she asked, confused.

“The greatest lesson of all,” he whispered, and before she could ask what that was, his lips pressed against hers. A tiny gasp slipped out of her lips, and he smiled as he stared at her, her cheeks rosy.

Then, her arms wrapped around his neck, and she pulled him down for a longer, deeper kiss. He sighed as he caressed her lips with his own, running his fingers through her hair, savoring her warmth and the feeling of her hands tracing the contours of his face. And while perhaps on another night he might have let one thing lead to another, this night he pulled back and pecked her lips once more before settling down at her side. She curled up with him, her head resting on his chest, and he pulled the blankets over the both of them, closing his eyes.

Yes, she’d taught him many lessons over the years, but this was the most important.

She’d taught him how to love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “It is not your time to die, Corrin! Not for another 72 years and 19 days...”  
> —Azama's final chapter quote.
> 
> The fluff is back, guys! I hope it's here to stay, too! 
> 
> As Azama's quote up there testifies, I don't think Corrin will live for thousands of years like Anankos did. She's half human for one, and for two, she mostly stays in human form. As for the madness, I think she's going to be fine in that catagory as well. Anankos's madness seemed to be a product of old age as well as giving into beastly urges.
> 
> No, it doesn't mention Anankos's insanity in Revelation, but I have the feeling Azura would mention it to Corrin and tell her more about him than the others. I drew heavily on the lore located in Hidden Truths, but I haven't actually played it, so one more sin for me. Oops. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	6. Flight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “The secret of flight is this -- you have to do it immediately, before your body realizes it is defying the laws.” 
> 
> ― Michael Cunningham, A Home at the End of the World

Leo smiled as he stared up at the sky, Brynhildr in his hands. And above him, soaring on the air currents of the Astral Plane, flew Corrin.

Though it should have been obvious to him -- she possessed wings, after all, and unlike some species of bird, they weren’t underdeveloped -- he was still shocked when she had told him that flight in her dragon form was possible. In spite of that ability, she had been sheepish when she’d warned him about how poor her actual flying skills were.

Yet, as he watched her turn through the air, gliding on silver wings, he could only think of her as graceful.

“You ever thought of joining her up there?” a familiar voice asked.

Leo reluctantly turned his attention away from Corrin, looking up as Takumi stood there, the Fujin Yumi tucked under one arm as always. 

“No,” he said softly, clutching Brynhildr a little tighter. “I belong on the ground.”

Takumi smiled, looking up at the sky. “She’s better than she was before.”

“You saw her practice?” Leo asked, raising an eyebrow.

“More than saw. Gods, I had to climb into trees and pull her down.” Takumi let out a chuckle at the memory. “She, um, had to master landing.”

The thought of Corrin, a majestic dragon who could kill five men with a swipe of a tail and unify two diverse armies, stuck in a tree made him laugh.

_ Hey, what are you two talking about? _ Corrin’s voice rang in his head, and Leo smiled as she descended to the ground, her wings flapping powerfully as she landed on her hind legs. 

“Oh, just reminiscing on how bad you were at flying once,” Takumi said with a grin. 

With a blue flash, Corrin was human again, and Leo’s smile only widened as he saw how red her cheeks were. “Landing is hard, okay? Especially when you’re up in the sky, and…” She trailed off, then sighed. “Never mind. You’re right. I was pretty bad at landing.”

Leo rose to his feet, Brynhildr in his arms. “Why didn’t you ever tell me this?”

“It’s… embarrassing,” she murmured, folding her arms nervously. “I didn’t even try flying until three months after I… left Hoshido.” She rubbed her dragonstone furtively between her fingers, closing her eyes. His heart sank as he realized she was discussing her first transformation.

“You should eat,” he commented, hoping that the admonition would distract her. “You must be hungry.”

“Starving,” she said with a grin, falling into step next to him.

The day passed by in relative normalcy. But that night, as he sat in bed, a book perched in his lap, her words kept on floating around in his head.  _ It’s embarrassing.  _

“Corrin,” he found himself saying, tucking his bookmark into the book, then setting it on the nightstand.

“Yeah?” she said, looking up from the paperwork she was organizing. 

“Why are you so embarrassed about flying?” he asked softly.

Instantly, her cheeks grew red, and she sighed as she stared at the desk. “You’re going to laugh.”

“I promise not to,” he said, slipping out from the covers. She looked up at him as he approached, padding across the wooden floor to place his hands on her shoulders. Gently, he kneaded at them, rubbing away the knots that had started to form in her back. “Please tell me.”

She let out a long sigh, then dropped her quill. “I didn’t know I could even fly, at first.”

He blinked.

“I know. It’s stupid,” she muttered. “But I just never really thought about it. I can run on the ground, which is good enough for me, right? Then Azura asked why I hadn’t tried flying, so I did, and…” She blushed even harder. “We had to stop for a week so my concussion could heal.”

“What happened?” he asked, trying not to let his fear seep into his tone.

“I… fell,” she whispered. “I was so high up and excited, and then I looked at the ground, and my brain just went  _ dead. _ The world started to spin, and I was dizzy, and the next thing I knew, I was waking up in my room getting scolded by Jakob.” She smiled bitterly at the desk. “I’m probably the only person in the world who fell out of the sky the first time they flew.”

“You’re not the only one,” he said quietly.

She turned, looking at him, her eyes curious.

Slowly, he pulled up a chair and sat down across from her, his hands clasped in his lap. “Did I ever tell you about the only time I’ve flown?” he asked quietly. 

“You’ve flown before?” she asked, eyes wide.

He nodded. “Camilla took me for a ride on Marzia when I was ten. It was…” He grimaced. “Not a pleasant experience.”

Corrin gave him a sympathetic wince. “What happened?”

“Just like you, I experienced flight sickness,” Leo said softly. “And I actually did fall out of the saddle. Thankfully, Marzia caught me, and I was put on the ground. No harm or injury took place.” His cheeks grew warm as he stared at the ground. “Though I did vomit in front of an entire company of Malig Knights.”

“Oh, Leo,” she murmured, slipping one of her hands in his. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s in the past,” he said with a terse smile. “The point that I’m trying to make, Corrin, is that you are doing much better than you think you are. Today, you flew perfectly. And you are certainly not alone in being embarrassed about something in the past. However, eventually we must let those moments go.”

She stared at him for a long moment, then smiled. “I guess you’re right.”

He rose to go back to bed, but paused as she stood up as well. “Leo?” she whispered.

“Yes?” he asked.

She swallowed, then palmed something from the desk. Then, strangely enough, she walked to the window, cracking it open. With a leap, she stood on the window sill, and his heart nearly dropped into his stomach as she leaned out. 

“C-Corrin!” he shouted, reaching for her. “Come down from there!”

She turned, then flashed him a dazzling smile. “Don’t worry. I’ve gotten a lot better at this.”

And before he could ask what that meant, she stepped away from the windowsill and plummeted out of sight.

He dashed for the window, staring down at the ground, fully expecting to see Corrin screaming with a broken leg. 

Instead, he pulled back as a dragon’s head stuck through the window, wings flapping powerfully outside.  _ Come on! _ she called, her voice excited. 

His hands shook. “Corrin. I…”

_ You said that we have to let those moments go, right? _ she said.  _ Well, what better way to let them go than to try again? _

He nearly groaned -- he’d set himself up for this perfectly. “Corrin, I-I may not have told you this, but… I have a fear of heights.”

_ I know. _

He blinked. “You… do?”

_ When we all jumped into the Bottomless Canyon, you were as white as a sheet and you couldn’t walk for fifteen minutes, _ she replied.  _ But Leo… You still jumped.  _ If she were human, he could imagine the smile on her face: warm and inviting.  _ You can do this. I know you can.  _

He stared at her for a long moment, swallowing nervously. 

Then, he fetched Brynhildr from the nightstand. “Only for a few minutes,” he said sternly. “You need your rest. We have an important meeting tomorrow.”

She laughed.  _ Right, right. _

He stood on the windowsill, slightly terrified that he was even doing this. But she was right. This was something he needed to let go.

And, well… he’d always wanted to ride an actual, honest to goodness dragon.

Her armor was hard against his legs as he crawled into place, slipping into the dip between her neck and shoulders. His hands scrambled to find something to hold onto, but his vision already was spinning, his stomach curling into knots.  _ Grab onto my antlers, _ she suggested, and he quickly latched onto them with a deathgrip, trying to control his breathing as he pressed Brynhildr against his chest with his other hand.

Suddenly, she lurched up, and he nearly let out a squeak as she gained altitude with powerful flaps of the wings. Quickly, he squeezed his eyes shut, pressing his face against her neck. 

_ Don’t worry, _ she whispered in his mind, and he froze as he heard a hum vibrate in her chest, sending chills throughout his body.  _ I won’t let you fall. _

“I know,” he whispered.

He didn’t want to think about the ground, hundreds of feet below. So instead, he focused on the way her wings beat against the air, the feeling of the cold breeze against his exposed skin. Her warmth, as always, drove away the chill, and he soon found himself clinging to Corrin for a different reason than fear. 

Then, eventually the wind stopped, and he blinked as her body stilled, her wings still flapping to maintain her height. “Corrin?” he murmured.

_ Look up. _

He did, then stared with wide eyes.

They were up in the clouds, illuminated silver by the moon. It was enormous, and he remembered rare moments in Castle Krakenburg where he had stared up at the sky, on nights when it hadn’t been overcast and gloomy. The moon had always fascinated Niles, and he’d often caught the man staring at it for hours.

But what made him stare wasn’t the moon. He’d seen that before.

What made him stare were the stars.

Stars were nearly impossible to see in Nohr. The clouds never let up quite enough to see them, and the only way to truly catch a good glimpse of them were with observatories, where mages often waited for weeks for the perfect nighttime conditions.

To say that they were merely lights in the sky was inadequate in the worst sense. It was as if a painter had washed bright streaks of color into the night sky, thousands of dots making up a grander picture that left him breathless. The moonlight made the clouds almost glow, and he stared at Corrin as she simply hovered in the air, occasional wing flaps making her body move up and down.

Her armor shined in a way he’d never seen it before, and her head almost glowed in the darkness, a bright blue light that reminded him of her dragonstone. 

_ It’s beautiful, _ she whispered. 

He opened Brynhildr, and his hands shook as he contemplated just what he was about to do. But he felt the magic burn in his chest anyway, and he whispered the spell under his breath. 

Then he slipped off Corrin’s side.

_ LEO! _

“I’m all right,” he murmured, hanging onto her antlers. He clung tightly so that he wouldn't float away, blown off by some gust of wind.

While Brynhildr was most commonly remembered as being able to grow plants, he was also able to affect gravity. It was a subtle power, not as flashy as making trees grow in a matter of seconds, but it had its unseen perks.

One of them was being able to make himself weightless.

Sacred tome tucked under his arm, he lightly kicked against Corrin’s shoulders, spinning his body around so he was facing her. Lightly, his hand hung onto her antlers, and she watched speechless as he hovered in front of her, thousands of feet above the ground. She was illuminated by moonlight, and he stared at her in awe. Stars glimmered on her face, reflecting their light back to him.

She stared at him for a long moment, the only noise between them the sound of her wings beating in the air.

Then, a soft hum slipped past her jaws, and he froze as her head bumped against his chest, nestling against it softly. He wrapped his arms around her, exhaling softly as he curled around her head. His eyes closed as he listened to the thrum of her humming, filling his entire body with warmth. 

“Thank you,” he murmured, pressing his lips to the crown of her head.

_ Mmm, _ she hummed, and he smiled as she nudged his chin.  _ This is great and all, but I’m starting to get tired. _ A yawn suddenly reverberated through her body, and he resisted the urge to chuckle.  _ Flying is hard. _

“All right,” he said, pulling himself back to her shoulders. Gravity reasserted her dominance, pressing himself against Corrin’s back, and he clung to her tightly as she started to descend. He refused to look down, only focusing on her breathing and the sky above him. 

It was only when he felt her feet touch the ground that he allowed himself to look down. 

He slid off her back, felt his bare feet hit the ground, and he grimaced as his knees nearly buckled.  _ Well? _ she asked, staring at him.

“Th-That wasn’t so… bad,” he admitted, leaning against her.

She laughed.  _ Do I need to carry you home? _

He sat down in the grass, folding his arms above his knees. His chin rested on top of them, and he squeezed his eyes shut, taking deep, slow breaths. “J-Just give me a minute.”

A blue flash, and she was sitting next to him in human form, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. “You weren’t afraid in the sky.”

“I didn’t let myself think about it,” he muttered, rubbing at his eyes. 

“That’s the whole trick, you know,” she said, looking at him with bright crimson eyes. “You don’t think about it.”

He stared at her for a long moment. 

Then, he smiled. “Is this why you always crashed into trees?”

She smacked his arm, and he grunted. “Hey! Landing is the hardest part! Besides, I thought you said I flew perfectly!”

“My apologies,” he said with a chuckle, leaning against her as he breathed in the thick night air. His eyes closed, and he felt his body relaxed as she tucked her head against his chest. “But in all honesty, thank you. I… actually enjoyed it.”

“Good,” she said, her voice soft. “You know… I’ve always wanted to take you flying.”

His eyes drooped, and he tried to force them open. But sitting next to Corrin, her warmth pressing against him, he found his world darkening. His head leaned against her shoulder, and she stroked his hair, running her fingers across his scalp in a way that he could only describe as soothing.

The next thing he remembered was being tucked into cool sheets, warm lips pressing against his forehead. “Good night,” Corrin murmured, her hand stroking his face for a brief moment. 

He pulled her down into his arms, cradling her close.

And that night, he dreamed of a sky full of stars.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Goodness, this chapter fought me like an animal. I went through about four drafts, each with different ideas, until I settled on this one. It happened to be the fluffiest version, so there you go. :)
> 
> Pro tip: play "Forbidden Friendship" from the How to Train Your Dragon soundtrack in the background. That song is what got me through writing this chapter.
> 
> Good thing Niles wasn't there, otherwise the amount of "riding" euphemisms would have shot through the roof.


	7. Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You don't raise heroes, you raise sons. And if you treat them like sons, they'll turn out to be heroes, even if it's just in your own eyes."
> 
> \--Walter M. Schirra, Sr.

Leo inhaled the fresh air deeply, letting his eyes drift closed.

The air in the Astral Plane was different than the air here. Forrest’s deeprealm also smelled different, and of course neither of them smelled or _felt_ like Valla: charged ozone and tingling ancient magic, the remnants of some massive spell that had broken both land and sky.

Here, it felt peaceful, and he exhaled slowly as he heard footsteps crunch the dirt beside him.

“Father?” Forrest asked, his silver curls shining in the sunlight. “Are you… all right?”

“Fine,” he said quickly, straightening up. “It will be nice to visit your brother.”

Forrest’s face broke into a delighted grin, and Leo smiled reflexively as they walked along the dirt path, Brynhildr under his arm, a healing staff under Forrest’s. “It’s been so long. How old do you think he is now?”

Leo closed his eyes, doing the calculations. “If only a few weeks have passed since you came with us, then he should be nearing his twelfth birthday.”

Of course, only a few weeks meant much longer here, and the familiar pang of guilt struck him. It was for their children’s safety, he and Corrin had agreed, but it had been so hard, so painful to place them in the deeprealms out of close reach. He’d missed so much out of both of his sons’ lives, and he knew he could never reclaim that time. All he could do was try and be there for them as much as he could.

It was easier now that Forrest had joined their army. He could speak to Leo, smile at him, join Elise in the infirmary as he set to healing the wounded and sick. And Leo could try and repair what damage he’d done in his absence.

“I’ll have to make him something!” Forrest said excitedly, clapping his hands together. “Perhaps a cape! He does love to emulate Mother, after all.”

Leo chuckled, remembering the first time Kana had begged him for a suit of armor that matched Corrin’s. “Mama’s armor looks so cool!” he said. “Please, Papa, _please?”_ And of course, with wide red eyes and a pleading stare that perfectly matched his mother’s, Leo had broken down contemptibly easy.

Yet as he’d watched Kana run around in his eleventh birthday present, laughing and pointing a wooden sword, his throat had swollen and he’d nearly had to leave the room.

It was bad enough that Forrest was with the army, vulnerable and defenseless, though Corrin and Leo both made sure to keep him near the back of the formation with Elise and Sakura. But seeing his little boy -- his Kana bean, as Corrin loved calling him -- dressed in armor and swinging a sword, he’d promised right then and there that he would never allow his son to have to use that armor for its intended purpose.

“Father?”

Leo opened his mouth to reply, then froze.

Smoke was rising from behind the edge of the trees, and if he strained, he could hear--

_“Mama!”_

His heart plummeted in his chest, and his mouth went dry.

“Kana?” Forrest whispered, raising a gloved hand to his lips.

Leo didn’t hesitate, didn’t wait for Forrest to catch up. He ran, armored feet flying over fallen branches and beaten dirt, racing as fast as he could towards the clearing where Kana’s village was sheltered, safe, secure.

“I told you to run!” That was Corrin’s voice, frantic and breathless, and Leo knew he was close. He burst out of the trees, Brynhildr open, life flooding his palm.

Kana’s village was protected by a series of moats, and he quickly scanned the horizon. It was the dry season, so most of the trenches were dry. Weeds crunched under his feet as he stared at the field in front of the village.

It was filled with Vallites. Invisible soldiers, their silhouettes wreathed in violet flames.

“Gods,” Forrest gasped at his side, and he whirled around to see him standing next to him, his staff clutched in trembling fingers. “F-Father--”

“You’re unarmed and unarmored,” Leo said quickly, grasping Forrest by the shoulder. “Run back to the Astral Plane and get the others.”

“B-But Mother,” he choked out, his brown eyes wide with fright, and Leo spun around frantically.

He froze as he saw two figures clad in silver. One clutched the Alpha Yato with both hands in a shaky grip, but she was on her knees. He could see the blood leaking out of her arm. The other stood in front of her, small and defenseless in front of the horde of invisible soldiers.

“No! You bunch of bullies!” he shouted, and Leo was running again, racing towards them both. “Stop hurting Mama!”

“Kana! How many times do I need to tell you?! _Run!”_

Leo’s sides ached but his hand was warm, life cupped inside of it. If he could move just a little faster, he wouldn’t be too late.

“No!” Kana shouted, throwing his arms in front of Corrin. “I’m not gonna leave, Mama! Not when I’ve waited to see you for so long!” Leo’s heart burned in his chest as the Vallites crept towards them, surrounding them on all sides. “No one’s gonna take you from me! I’m staying right--”

Leo froze as he saw something change in Kana’s posture. He wasn’t a defiant shield any longer. Instead, he was trembling, his head clutched in his hands.

“Right here by--”

A strange growl echoed through the air, and Leo searched for Forrest. Thankfully, he wasn’t too far behind, his brown eyes wide with fright.

“By your--”

An earsplitting _roar_ split the air, and Leo nearly dropped Brynhildr to plug his ears. Instead, he stared in a mixture of shock and horror as Kana was consumed by a violent red light, falling to his knees.

And in a burst of light, water dripping to the ground as he reared up on his hind legs, stood a dragon.

_What… What just happened?_

Kana. His little boy, his sweet son that copied his mother’s every word and begged him for bedtime stories and could never comb his hair, had just transformed into a dragon.

It should have been obvious to him. After all, Corrin possessed the ability as well, but he’d never considered it to be genetic. It was just something that _was._

And now, he stared dumbly as the dragon -- _Kana_ \-- swiped ferociously with his claws, sending Vallites flying. They didn’t scream as his claws shredded into them, tearing clothes and flesh alike. His roar trumped, but it was not a triumphant bellow like he was so used to hearing from Corrin. It was a scream, a shout of pure _rage_ that made his knees tremble.

The Vallites pulled back, and he quickly ran towards the figure that was crouched on the ground, holding her arm. “Corrin!” he shouted, Forrest not far behind him. Now more than ever, he was thankful that he’d brought a staff.

“I’m all right!” she replied, rising to her feet, the Yato planted in the ground. “But Leo, we’ve got to do something. He’s out of control!”

His blood chilled as he neared her. “What?”

“He’s mindless,” she said quickly, staggering towards him. “If we don’t take care of these enemies, fast, he’ll get himself killed in a rampage!”

He swallowed over the lump in his throat. Corrin had described to him how her first transformation had been. She’d been running on nothing more than instinct, unable to distinguish friend from foe. If the same was true with Kana--

“Father, watch out!”

And he gasped as a clawed hand shoved him away from Corrin, pinning him to the dirt.

He was breathless, trembling as he stared up at the head of a dragon. It looked so similar to Corrin, almost identical, but he could spot the differences. A smaller body, a leaner frame. Sharper claws that screeched across his armor, scratching paint and leaving shallow grooves in the metal.

“Kana, no!” Forrest screamed, running towards him.

“Stay back,” Leo choked out. If Kana was truly mindless, then he wouldn’t know who Forrest was. Corrin, blessedly, caught him by the sleeve, tugging him away out of danger.

“K-Kana,” Leo gasped, struggling to breathe under the weight of the foot pressing him into the ground. A growl rumbled through the dragon’s chest, and he felt a chill as Kana’s jaws snapped. _I have to calm him down. Somehow._

But how?

A dark memory surfaced to his mind, a memory of a weeping Corrin and a discarded Yato glowing on the ground in the darkness. He’d startled her awake during a nightmare, and he’d…

Slowly, very slowly, he reached up and stroked Kana’s head. “It’s all right, Kana,” he breathed, running gloved fingers over the smooth glassy material. “It’s all right…”

For a horribly long moment, he was afraid that Kana truly couldn’t understand him, and that he’d have his chest crushed.

Then, slowly, the hand withdrew, and Leo could breathe again. Yet before he could stop Kana somehow, the dragon bounded off, roaring as he charged the closest cluster of Vallites.

“Are you all right?” Corrin asked quickly, lifting him off the ground with her good arm.

“Fine,” he breathed, touching her arm. “Forrest, could you--” He watched as the staff in Forrest’s hands glowed with a green light, and Corrin relaxed as the cut on her arm sealed up, leaving flawless skin behind.

“Thank you, sweetie,” she murmured wearily, patting his shoulder with a weak smile. “We have to clear this field of any threats, and fast. I’ll fight alongside Kana, make sure that nothing overwhelms him.”

“Forrest will be with me,” Leo agreed. It was far too late to run back to the Astral Plane now, and he could protect him with Brynhildr if he didn’t overextend himself. “Pincer formation. I’ll take left side.”

Corrin nodded, then grasped the Yato and pulled it out of the dirt. He watched as she clutched her dragonstone, then transformed, running off behind Kana.

“F-Father?” Forrest stammered, and Leo turned to see his son standing there with shaking legs, his face deathly white. “What…What was all that?”

“Your mother can, uh… turn into a dragon,” Leo offered weakly. “She _is_ a dragon, technically.”

“Oh.” Forrest’s voice was a high pitched squeak. _“Oh.”_

“I’ll explain more later,” Leo said quickly, snatching Brynhildr from the dirt where he’d dropped it. His chest still ached from Kana pinning him, but he pushed that out of his mind. The force of Vallites on the field was large, almost too large for only two accomplished warriors to handle.

Yet, as he saw Kana charging into the enemy, literally tearing them apart, he figured that this wouldn’t as impossible as he’d first thought.

So, with Forrest at his side, he ran into the fray, releasing the magic in his hand into the ground.

 

* * *

 

His lungs ached, his legs burned, and sweat beaded on his forehead, but he could not stop. Waves of gravity blew the enemy back, giving him some breathing room.

“Do you need a healing?” Forrest asked, approaching warily. Leo swallowed over his dry throat, then shook his head. He was only exhausted, not wounded.

They’d managed to make good progress. Most of the Vallites were beginning to pull back, gathering around their leader. Kana, however, was still on the rampage, and Corrin was only barely able to keep up with him. Leo watched, his heart aching as he saw the scratches in her armor. If this was difficult enough for him, it had to be even worse for her. She’d experienced this before, and to watch their son going through the exact same thing…

“Well, now. What have we here, Lloyd?”

Forrest suddenly gasped, and Leo’s eyes widened as he saw something bright and silvery flash in the dying sunlight. An axe blade.

_No._

Quickly, instinctively, he wrenched Forrest towards him, spinning him away from the axe. Forrest gasped as Leo tucked him into his chest, shielding him as best he could.

The pain that seared through his back was so powerful his knees buckled instantly. He gasped as he collapsed, though Forrest was able to escape from his grip. Blessedly, he was unharmed; Leo had taken the brunt of the hit. Blood dripped to the dirt as he cried out, agony washing over him, threatening to drag him into darkness.

_“Father!”_

He struggled to stay conscious, keeping his grip on Brynhildr firm. Yet his vision wavered as he saw muddy boots approach him, the bloodied blade of the axe flashing in his vision. “Well now. Aren’t you a pretty thing?” Leo’s blood boiled as he heard ugly laughter.

Forrest tugged at his arms, and he swallowed thickly as he saw the tears in his eyes. “F-Father,” he whispered. “Please…”

“We came for the dragons, brother,” another rough voice said excitedly. “Let’s leave ‘em. He’ll bleed out anyway. And then we can put them on leashes!” He giggled madly, and Leo gritted his teeth. “Gods on leashes!”

Not his wife. Not his son. The very thought of both of them muzzled up like some common _dogs_ filled him with rage, strength flooding him.

But not enough strength to stand.

“No. We finish him off first, then take the girl,” the other said. “Come on now, darling. Step away from the boy, and we’ll make sure he’s nice and dead.”

“No! Don’t touch my father!”

And Leo watched with dread as Forrest stood in front of him with quivering legs, unarmed and unarmored, nothing but a staff in his hands.

“All right,” the barbarian sighed. “We’ll do this the hard way.”

An axe flashed in the sunlight, and Leo’s blood ran cold as Forrest held up a hand, futily attempting to block the weapon. He screamed, and Leo expected to see blood in the air, Forrest collapsed on the ground, missing one hand.

Instead, he gaped as Forrest’s arm _grew_ , silvery bones jutting out of the arm and clanging against the axe blade. The metal squealed against the thick long spine as Forrest stared wide eyed. Everything stood still for one moment, the bandits gaping with their jaws slack.

That moment was all Leo needed.

His hand nearly burned, crackling with life as he cast spells, trees ripping free from the soil. The barbarians were torn apart, disintegrating as pulses of gravity shoved them away from Forrest, his son, his boy. Their screams echoed in the air, ringing in his ears.

Eventually, the only two people standing on the field were himself and Forrest.

“Oh gods,” he whispered, staring at Leo in horror as the spine slowly began to retreat back into his arm. The silvery color faded, revealing a normal arm with a normal leather glove. Then, his brown eyes snapped to the blood streaming down Leo’s back. “D-Don’t worry! I can fix this!”

Leo bit his lip hard as Forrest’s hand brushed against his bloodied back, holding back a scream, then relaxed as he felt the cool rush of healing magic surge through him. Nerves were repaired, muscles mended, and torn flesh sealed. Slowly, ever so slowly, he was able to stand up and actually look at Forrest. “Are you hurt?” he rasped, reaching for him.

Forrest stared at him in shock, his brown eyes dazed. “What… what just happened?” he whispered, his face as white as snow.

“You had a partial transformation surge,” Leo said.

“What?”

“You, um…” He inhaled deeply, trying to figure out just _how_ he could explain this. “You turned your arm into the central spine of a wing.” He stared at Forrest for a long moment, then smiled weakly. “Congratulations. You can turn into a dragon just like your mother.”

“Oh.” Forrest’s voice was weak, his face pale. “That’s… wonderful. Really…”

He stared at him, noting how Forrest’s legs were shaking. Then, he pulled him into a soft hug, steadying him in his arms. “Are you hurt? Is there pain?”

“N-No,” Forrest stammered. “I just…” A nervous laugh escaped from his lips. “It’s not every day your _arm_ turns into a dragon spine.”

“We’ll get you a dragonstone after this is over,” Leo promised softly, burying a hand in Forrest’s silver curls. “That will stabilize the transformations and ensure that you have total consciousness while in a completely transformed state.”

“B-Because… I-I could be like K-Kana,” Forrest said, his hands shaking.

Leo’s eyes darted nervously around the battlefield, then caught the glimpse of silver wings and a long tail. Kana roared, and Leo felt a chill go down his spine as his son clawed at another section of Vallites, throwing them dozens of feet away.

Not even when Corrin was at her finest had he seen such power. _He’s gone completely berserk._

“No,” Leo said quickly, turning back to Forrest. “Not with the dragonstone.”

Forrest stared at him for a moment, then left his embrace, hugging at himself furtively. “Is he… Is he going to go back to normal?” he asked anxiously.

“Your mother had the exact same thing happen to her when she first transformed,” Leo explained, staring at the field around them. Thankfully, most of the Vallites were routed, no doubt due to Kana’s rage. “She was able to be calmed down by your Aunt Azura.” He pressed a hand to Forrest’s shoulder. “Kana will be fine. And so will you. I swear it.”

Forrest stared up at him, and Leo could feel the trembling in his shoulders.

Then, he smiled, wiping at his face. “I-I suppose I should feel grateful. It’s not every person that can turn into a dragon.”

“No,” Leo said, smiling back. “It’s not.” Then, he turned to where he’d last seen Kana and tucked Brynhildr under his arm. “I think… that’s the last of them.” There were no glimpses of purple flames, no sign of any threats. The only people who stood on the field were himself, Forrest, Corrin, and Kana.

Slowly, a latent ache in his back, he walked through the yellow grass, Forrest behind him. Carefully, he scouted for enemies, but none appeared. “Kana!” Forrest suddenly shouted, and Leo blinked as he took off running. He followed, Brynhildr tucked under his arm.

Then, he breathed out a sigh of relief as he saw Corrin kneeling in the grass in human form, Kana cradled in her arms. “He finally calmed down after we finished the last of them,” she whispered, looking up at them with tired eyes. Yet there was a smile on her face as she gazed down at Kana’s sleeping form.

Leo sank down to his knees, his hand brushing over that unruly blonde hair. Then, swallowing, he looked at Corrin and smiled. “Forrest can turn into a dragon too.”

She blinked, then stared up at Forrest, an excited grin on her face. “Really?”

“Yes,” Forrest said with a demure smile, ducking his head. “Though it was a… frightening experience.”

“It’ll be all right,” Corrin said, grinning up at him. “We’ll have Azura get you both dragonstones and attune them to you. Trust me, after that’s done, transforming is much less frightening. I do it all the time.”

Leo stared down at Kana, still stroking his hair. He was sound asleep, no doubt exhausted. He seemed unharmed, though, aside from a few scratches and dents in his armor. A small bruise was already starting to form on the edge of his jaw, but for now he slept peacefully.

 _My son is a dragon,_ he thought, leaning back on his heels. _Both of them are._

His mind reeled at that revelation, so he tucked it in the back of his mind so he could process it later. For now, he focused on Kana, supporting his head in his gloved hands.

He hadn’t kept his promise to keep Kana’s armor spotless and clean, never used. And he felt guilt about that, guilt that the Vallites had somehow hunted his son down and invaded a safe place, a place that everyone including him thought was a sanctuary. But there was nothing he could change about that. His promise was broken and dead.

So he made a new promise.

 _I’ll watch over you,_ he thought, brushing some stray hairs out of his face. _And I’ll keep you safe with me. I promise, Kana._

And he sealed his promise with a kiss to his son’s forehead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One of my headcanons is that Forrest actually inherited Leo's eyes but Corrin's hair, and Kana inherited Leo's hair but Corrin's eyes. Shigure got Azura's golden eyes and blue hair, so why not Corrin's kids? 
> 
> This was one of my favorite chapters to write, especially because you get to see Kana's first transformation from Leo's perspective and not Corrin's. That's got to be terrifying, seeing your own child go through that much anger and pain. Unfortunately, I fear that I didn't focus on Forrest's part of it as much, but that will come in later chapters. (Maybe)
> 
> The bandits that show up are actually in the game and pop up around Turn 8 in Kana's paralogue. And yes, they are dumb enough to announce that they want to make Kana their pet. Just as here, this does not go over well for them.
> 
> Also, Forrest is one of the bravest members of the entire Fire Emblem: Fates cast. If you don't believe me, watch what he does in Heirs of Fate. The kid has fighting spirit.


	8. Fear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us... And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”   
> ― Marianne Williamson

Leo read through the convoy reports tiredly, rubbing his forehead. 

Kana was in bed, recovering from his earlier transformation. Though he had been excited to meet his aunts and uncles and cousins, he’d only been able to handle their company for a few hours before Corrin had to take him to bed, his little body nestled in her arms. A weary smile crept up his lips at the memory. 

Kana was with them now, making their small family complete. If only it hadn’t come from something so traumatic.

He didn’t know how much Kana remembered of his rage-induced transformation, but he suspected that it wasn’t something that would simply fade from his mind. Corrin’s first transformation still remained with her, another weight that she carried with her. The reports fell to the desk as he rubbed at his eyes. 

Then, he froze as the door to his study creaked open, and his fingers grasped Brynhildr as he turned.

He relaxed as he saw Kana standing in the doorway, dressed in his nightclothes: a white shirt and pants. His blonde hair was messy, as always, though half of it stuck up on the side. “Papa?” he whispered, his fingers curling around the doorway.

Brynhildr was hastily snapped shut, placed back on the desk, and Leo smiled wearily. “What is it, Kana?”

Hesitantly, he crept from the doorway towards him, then climbed onto his lap, pressing his face into Leo’s shoulder. Leo blinked, then draped an arm around him, resting his cheek on top of Kana’s hair. They remained in silence for a long time, Kana hidden in Leo’s arms. He eventually leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes, waiting for his son to speak.

“Papa?” Kana finally whispered.

“Yes, Kana?”

“I’m scared.”

His arms tightened around Kana, pressing him close. “What are you afraid of?” he asked softly. 

“I’m not a good dragon, am I?” Kana’s fingers curled into Leo’s shirt. “I’m… I’m a bad dragon.”

He tensed. “Kana, what in the world are you talking about?”

Something wet seeped into Leo’s shirt, and his heart ached as he realized that Kana was crying. “M-Mama said that I… I did some bad things today.” He trembled once, and Leo stroked his back, running his hand up and down his spine. “And she said that it’s okay because I didn’t know what I was doing, but I remember. I remember being so mad because I thought everyone was trying to hurt Mama, and…” A small sob rang in Leo’s ears. “I hurt you, Papa!”

Leo’s eyes squeezed shut.  _ So he does remember. _

His chest throbbed, though his wounds had long since been healed by Forrest. He could still remember the crushing weight on his ribs, could still hear the horrible sound of claws digging into his armor. He remembered all of that.

But the dragon that had attacked him was not the boy in his arms right now. 

So he held him tightly, stroking his hair. “Kana,” he whispered. “You didn’t hurt me.”

“B-But I did!” he protested, his voice a distressed whimper. “I smushed you into the ground!”

“That wasn’t you,” he said softly, running his fingers through Kana’s short, unruly locks. “Kana, do you remember why Aunt Azura gave you the dragonstone? Why she said it was so important?”

“B-Because…” Kana sniffled. “Because if I have the dragonstone… I won’t be crazy when I’m a dragon.”

“Exactly,” Leo murmured. “Kana, when you transformed today, you weren’t yourself. You were so angry that those soldiers were going to hurt your mother that something broke inside you, didn’t it?” Kana nodded. “When you use the dragonstone, it won’t be like that. You’ll be yourself the entire time.” A small smile crept up on Leo’s lips. “Do you want to smush me into the ground right now?”

“N-No,” Kana whispered.

“Then everything will be all right,” he whispered back. “And do you know what? Your mother went through the exact same thing you did, Kana.”

“She… She did?” Kana whispered, sitting up straight in Leo’s lap. His eyes were wide, almost completely round.

“Yes, she did,” Leo said. He reached out and dabbed at Kana’s wet cheeks with his sleeve. “She was so sad and angry that she turned into a dragon just like you. Your aunt Azura had to calm her down.” A lump rose in his throat, and he swallowed thickly, trying to force it down. Of course, there was so much more to the story than that, but he would tell Kana later, when he was ready. “She was frightened about what she’d become. But eventually, she learned that she could control herself. You can too, with your dragonstone.”

“But… what if I hurt someone, even if I’m in control?” Kana whispered. 

Leo stared at him for a moment, then reached over to the desk and picked up Brynhildr. “Do you remember this, Kana?” 

He nodded quickly. “That’s your special book that makes plants grow.”

“Yes, it does,” Leo murmured. “But it’s also a weapon. This book can hurt people, Kana.” 

“Growing plants can hurt people?” Kana asked, his eyes wide.

Leo nodded, then flipped open the pages. “It takes a large amount of responsibility to carry this book, Kana. With Brynhildr, I can do many things. Some of them good, some of them bad. I can hurt people, but I can also help them, defend them.” He closed the book, then placed it in Kana’s hands. “This book is like your dragonstone, Kana. Yes, you can hurt people with it. But you can also choose to help and defend people too. It’s all up to you to decide what to do with it.” 

“That sounds… scary,” Kana admitted. 

Leo smiled. “I suppose it can sound scary, can’t it? But I know you can use your dragonstone for good, Kana. Do you know how I know that?”

“How?”

“Because,” he whispered, pulling his little boy close. “You are a good person, Kana. You have a gentle heart, just like your mother and brother. You don’t have to do this alone, either. Your mother and I are with you now. We’ll be with you every step of the way.”

“R-Really?” Kana breathed.

“Really,” Leo confirmed. “Now, you need to sleep. You must be exhausted.”

Almost on cue, a yawn escaped Kana’s mouth, and he curled up against Leo. “Okay. Goodnight, Papa…”

He chuckled. “I meant in your bedroom, Kana.”

“Oh.” Kana’s head nuzzled Leo’s shoulder. “But… it’s scary in there.”

“I see,” Leo said softly. “It’s a new home, isn’t it?” While he considered the tree house his home, more so than even Castle Krakenburg had ever been, Kana had only been here for a few hours. All of the Astral Plane would be unfamiliar to him, so different from the deeprealm he’d been raised in all his life. “Your mother and I are just down the hall, you know. You can come and get us whenever you’d like.”

“I know,” Kana mumbled. “But…”

“Would you like me to stay with you?” Leo asked. A nagging voice reminded him that he should do those reports, but this wouldn’t take long. Unlike Forrest, Kana had always been fast to fall asleep. He inherited it from his mother. 

“Yeah,” Kana whispered, pulling back and rubbing at his eyes.  

“All right,” Leo said, tucking Brynhildr under his arm as Kana slid off his lap. He stood up slowly, then took Kana’s hand in his and walked through the small hallway. Lilith had been kind enough to expand Corrin’s treehouse when Forrest had moved in, and right now he and Kana shared a room. It was so early in the evening that Forrest was still working in the infirmary, however. He cracked open the door to their room, then sat down on the futon that was laying on the floor. 

Kana crept into bed next to him, and Leo smiled as his eyes drifted closed. “Good night, Papa,” he whispered, curling up next to him.

“Good night, Kana,” he whispered back, pressing a good night kiss to his cheek. 

The room fell silent save for Kana’s breathing, but Leo didn’t leave. It was so quiet that he felt that if he moved, he would disturb the peace of this moment. In his world, filled with war and skirmishes and the clashing of swords, to simply sit and watch his son sleep was more soothing than any amount of calming tea, sleep, or a good book. So he sat there, his hand on Kana’s shoulder as his small chest rose and fell with his breathing.

Suddenly: “Papa?”

“Yes, Kana?” he asked.

“I’m a good dragon, right?” he whispered, his eyes still closed.

Leo chuckled, then tucked the blankets under his chin. “Yes, Kana,” he replied. “You are a very good dragon.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not depicted: Leo promptly passing out on Kana's bed. Dude's gotta get his full eight hours, otherwise Uncle Niles and Uncle Odin start calling him "grouchypants."
> 
> That said, I believe a rage induced transformation like Kana and Corrin both had would be emotionally and mentally scarring. On top of the trauma that sent them into that state, it would be even worse to realize that you basically turned into a wild animal on top of that. That's no easy thing for an adult, much less a child, to process. Kana seems like the type to recover quickly though, so rest assured that in the next chapter, he will be his familiar happy self. :)
> 
> I want to thank everyone that's read this short little collection of stories. It really means the world to me to read your comments and see your kudos. Thank you!


	9. My Sons Are Dragons Too

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Papa, I have to say one more thing... Rrrghg rawrgghh rrrh! That's dragon for ‘I love you’!”  
> \-- Kana

Leo fixed his eyes on the book, sitting under the shade of a large oak tree. Yet as he heard the sound of excited chatter, his eyes lifted, and his lips quirked up into a smile.

“It’s so easy, Forrest!” Kana said excitedly, waving his dragonstone wildly. “All you have to do is just hold the dragonstone really tight and think really hard about becoming a dragon, and then _boom!”_ He threw up his hands. “You’re a dragon!”

“It’s a _little_ more difficult than that,” Corrin said, smiling at Kana. “But yes, that’s the basic gist of it. Don’t worry, sweetie. Take as much time as you need.”

Forrest’s face was uncertain, but Leo could see the resolve in his clenched jaw. In his hands, gently sheltered, was his dragonstone. Azura had been kind enough to attune each one to both of his sons, and they had watched in wonder as the glassy stone had been filled with a bright blue light. While Kana had been reluctant at first to transform, Leo’s words seemed to have affected him for the better. Now he played with the dragonstone often, transforming at will and running after his mother.

Forrest, on the other hand, hadn’t transformed completely once. This would be his first time.

Leo found himself closing his book, though he didn’t rise. Corrin would be the best person for coaching Forrest through it, and there was no advice he could give him anyway.

That bothered him more than he’d ever like to admit.

“First, I want you to close your eyes,” Corrin said softly. “Breathe deeply in and out.” Forrest did so, his shoulders rising and falling with each breath. “Good. Remember, Forrest, this is natural. It’s not going to hurt at all.”

“Of course,” Forrest said softly. His posture was more relaxed, though Leo could hear the nervousness in his voice.

“Now,” Corrin said. “The transformation is faster than you think, but it’s entirely under your control. You won’t turn into a dragon unless you want to. There’s nobody and nothing forcing you to transform.” Slowly, she set a gloved hand on Forrest’s shoulder. “You have a dragonstone to control it now, so you won’t go wild. You’ll be in control the entire time.”

Forrest nodded, then raised the dragonstone. “So, all I do is… think of turning into a dragon?”

“Yes,” she said, smiling brightly at him. “Ready for your first try?”

Forrest nodded, and Leo stared intently as he closed his eyes, bowing his head.

Then, a bright blue light engulfed him, and only a moment later, a dragon stood there. Instantly, he brayed, backing away quickly, his tail thwacking awkwardly against the ground.

“It’s okay!” Kana shouted, running after Forrest, his bare feet thumping in the green grass. “You’re okay, Forrest! You did it!”

Leo leaned back against the tree, a small smile on his lips as Forrest stood still, tail swishing from side to side. _So, um, this is… normal?_

“Yes,” Corrin said, grinning eagerly. “Now, ready for us to join you? I’ll show you the ropes.”

“Yeah!” Kana said, hopping up and down. “Wait up, Forrest!” Another flash of light, and a smaller dragon bounded up towards Forrest, their heads bumping together with a sharp _thunk._ Leo chuckled as Forrest recoiled. _K-Kana, I need some space!_

Corrin joined them shortly, and Leo took the opportunity to study each of them together. Corrin was certainly the largest, her muscles thicker than both of their sons. Kana was the smallest, but still stocky, his tail much shorter than Forrest’s. And Forrest, naturally, was sleek and elegant, almost as if his dragon form was trying to replicate his natural grace. They were minute differences, but Leo took note of each and every one of them. If they were ever all on the battlefield, transformed at the same time, it would be good to know just _which_ dragon was Corrin and which dragon wasn’t.

He exhaled softly, staring down at his book. After Kana had joined them, he’d insisted on fighting with the rest of the army, though Leo had tried to persuade him otherwise. Yet, after a long and bitter discussion with Corrin, he’d finally given in. Now, Kana marched with the rest of them, often riding with Forrest on his horse just as Corrin rode on Agnar with him. Like mother, like son, he supposed.

Thankfully, there had been no serious injuries. And perhaps even better, Kana was not fighting actual human beings. The Vallites were already dead, and while facing them would still be difficult, it wasn’t nearly as traumatizing as actually taking a human life.

Forrest still refused to speak with him about the bandits that Leo had killed. Instead of embracing his other nature, as Corrin and Kana had, he kept to healing. Learning how to control his dragon side would be good for him, and Leo had encouraged him to go out with Corrin and try it. He could transform if he was alone and unaided, and dragonhide was impossible to pierce, except for--

_She tumbled into his arms, so light yet so heavy as he cradled her to his chest, pressing her hand back over the wound. Blood had dribbled down her side in gruesomely wide streaks, staining her bright silver armor. She was so pale, so tiny, so fragile in his arms as he stared at her in that moment, struggling to breathe. To live._

His fingers curled around the leather cover of the book, and he closed his eyes, controlling his breathing. Yet his chest was tight, and he had to still the shaking in his hands.

Never. He would never let anything like that happen ever again. Not to Kana, not to Forrest, and not to Corrin.

His throat thick, he looked up at his family, silvery armor gleaming in the bright sunlight. Kana was bouncing up and down, his wings flapping wildly. He could almost hear Corrin’s laughter and Kana’s excited voice as Forrest ran with them, testing the limits of his new body. Water splashed on the ground under their feet, something he had never discovered the purpose of. Yes, Corrin had told him that she was a water dragon, but that didn’t explain the water that condensed on her when she switched between the two forms or the water that appeared under her feet as she walked.

There was so much he had learned from her, so much he had discovered about both of her forms, but there was still much he had to learn, so much he still wanted to experience. And not for the first time, he felt a pang of loneliness as he sat at the bottom of the tree, watching them run and play without him.

He was human. He didn’t rue that fact; there were burdens that Corrin carried as a dragon that he could never envy. But once more, he was separate, alone, distant from his family. This time, however, it wasn’t because he was exemplary. It was because he was ordinary. It was a strange contrast from his childhood.

Slowly, he opened his book, shoving the bitter and childish thoughts down. Takumi had loaned him this: a novel on an ancient Hoshidan battle. Thankfully, he’d provided some notes to help Leo with the translation of the Hoshidan script. Though he’d become much more fluent as they had traded books, he still struggled with some of the more archaic characters.

He was so engrossed in trying to decipher the more complicated text of the third chapter that he didn’t notice the warmth next to him. He flinched as something hard pressed against his cheek, then relaxed as he saw blue and silver.

 _Hey,_ Corrin murmured, and he watched as she descended to the ground, laying on the grass next to him.

“Hello,” he replied, pressing his lips to her warm hard crown. She let out a purr of contentment, and his fingers naturally slipped behind her head, scratching the spot just behind her left antler. He resisted the urge to chuckle as her tail swished lazily along the grass.

 _A little to the right,_ she prompted, and he complied, digging into the soft flesh with his fingers. A contented sigh echoed in his mind, and he smiled as her head plopped into the grass next to him, her entire body leaning against him. _Thanks. That was really itchy._

“Was there another purpose to your visit, or have I been demoted to your masseur?” he teased. Yet, she didn’t respond with laughter.

Instead, her head shifted, as if she was trying to get a better look at him. _Are you all right? You seem… lonely._

Corrin had the same talent as Camilla: she was able to discern exactly how he was feeling, though he tried to hide it out of reflex. It was both curse and blessing, and he exhaled slowly, closing the book in his lap. Translation could wait. “I’m fine.”

 _You could come with us,_ she said softly. _There’s nothing stopping you._

“This is your time with them,” he murmured, running his hands over the smooth antlers. “I don’t want to take it away from you.”

 _Just because it’s my time doesn’t mean you can’t share it too,_ she murmured. _Leo, I… I know it’s hard. I was so happy when I learned that Forrest and Kana were both dragons, I didn’t think about how lonely that would be for you. I don’t want you to stay behind every time we’re like this._

“I’m not lonely,” he said softly. It was true, partially -- he wasn’t lonely with her now, of course.

Slowly, her head rested in his lap. _If you insist._

“How is Forrest?” he asked, staring at the field. He couldn’t see them, and though they were in the Astral Plane, perfectly safe, he could feel his body tensing, his fingers reaching for Brynhildr.

 _They’re by the stream,_ she said. _Don’t worry._ She waited until he relaxed, then answered his original question. _He’s doing fine. It’s awkward at first, but he’ll get used to it. Remember how Kana kept on running into things?_

He chuckled, remembering the many, many times he’d grown tabak leaves to soothe Kana’s bruises. “Do I need to get Elise?”

Corrin laughed in response. _No, Forrest should do fine. He’s like you: calm, careful. Kana’s a ball of energy._ If she was human, Leo would have been able to see the weary expression on her face. _Some days I wonder if I should quit as leader of this army. I can’t even keep up with him sometimes._

“Like mother, like son,” he said lightly, and she laughed again.

 _Come on. I wasn’t that bad, was I?_ she asked.

“Perhaps not,” he admitted. “After all, you could never play tag for two hours straight.” He nearly started sweating at the memory of chasing a younger Kana around his deeprealm in the hot midsummer sun, waiting in vain for the moment when his son would collapse from exhaustion and give him a breather. “But I do believe he inherited all of that energy from you.”

She chuckled, a soft rumble that made him smile.

_Papa?_

He looked up, then blinked. Both Forrest and Kana were standing in front of him, tails swishing to maintain balance. Strange. How had they managed to sneak up on the both of them so easily?

“How are you?” he asked, closing the book in his lap and setting it in the grass.

 _Forrest’s such a fast runner!_ Kana said excitedly, and Leo held back a laugh as he bounced up and down, tail beating against the ground. _And Mama says that if we’re really good and finish all our lessons and do our chores on time, she’ll teach us how to fly!_

Leo smiled. “Then I will be sure to be there on that day.” He turned to Forrest. “How is it?”

 _It’s… a little overwhelming,_ Forrest admitted, and Leo smiled as he laid down in the grass, his head brushing against Leo’s thigh. _Everything seems so small now. And the world has different colors._ He made a soft purring noise, a gentle hum, and Leo rested his hand on Forrest’s skull, rubbing slow circles into the hard material of his crown. _It’s a whole new perspective. In fact, I’ve seen colors that would make such a lovely--_ He suddenly cut himself off.

A small twinge of guilt struck Leo’s gut. _He still thinks he has to hide this from me._

He knew that the damage he’d caused Forrest from his misplaced shame and anger would be slow to heal. Even if Forrest forgave, he would never truly forget. Even with that knowledge, it still hurt him to see his son hide his talent in front of him, as if Leo would snap at him again.

True healing would come with time; slow, awkward, painful time. In the meantime, the only thing Leo could do would be to try and remind him that he truly loved him.

So, he stroked Forrest’s head slowly, giving him a small smile. “What would those colors make, Forrest?”

Forrest’s head lifted off the ground a few inches, and Leo’s smile widened as he realized Forrest was staring at him. Then: _I was thinking that with the colors I’ve seen, I could make a new dress._

 _A dragon dress!_ Kana said excitedly. _Mama, you’d look so pretty in it!_

Corrin laughed, and Leo smiled at the image of his wife in _another_ one of his son’s dresses. _We’ll see what Forrest says, Kana. In the meantime, there’s a fun little place I want to show you._

They both snapped to attention, Forrest standing up eagerly. Leo smiled at the both of them, then picked up his book. “Have fun, all of you,” he said softly.

 _But Papa!_ Kana protested, and Leo blinked as his head nudged his chest, nuzzling against him. _Why can’t you come with us?_

“Well,” he said quietly, wrapping his arms around Kana’s head. “I have some paperwork to do later. Uncle Ryoma wants those reports, Uncle Xander needs me to deliver some things for him, and your Aunt--”

 _But Father,_ Forrest said, his soft voice cutting Leo off. _Can’t you do that later?_

 _It’s a short trip,_ Corrin agreed. _And the reports can be done tomorrow._ Her tail curled around Leo’s sitting form, almost as if she was putting her arm around him. _Come on._

 _Yeah, Papa!_ Kana said, and a plaintive bray rumbled against Leo’s chest. _It’s not as much fun without you!_

His cheeks flushed. “I would just slow you down.”

 _Well, there's an easy solution to that quandary,_ Forrest said, calm and collected as always. _Why don’t you simply ride on Mother’s back?_

His blush deepened. “I don’t know. I…”

 _Come on, Papa!_ Kana said excitedly. _We’ll have so much fun!_

Corrin’s tail nudged him, and he could almost imagine the grin on her face. _Get on, Leo._  

He stared at all of them, waiting expectantly for him, then sighed. “All right.” Brushing off his pants, he slid onto Corrin’s back, falling into the dip between her neck and shoulders. He grasped her antlers as she rose from the ground. _Hang on,_ she said, and he barely was able to tighten his grip before she surged forward, feet flying over green grass and clear water.

Leo knew that Corrin was fast as a dragon; she could easily cross battlefields and run over rough terrain that his own horse couldn’t handle. But he hadn’t realized just _how_ fast she was until the wind was leeching tears from his eyes and he hastily held onto his hairband in fear that it would blow away. _Hanging on well enough?_ she asked.

He clung to her neck, pressing himself to her armor so that the wind wouldn’t be so fierce. “I may have to give up riding Agnar,” he said, loud enough so that she could hear him over the sound of her thumping feet. “This is amazing.”

She laughed, and he smiled at the joyous sound. He looked back to see how far they’d gone, and his eyes landed on Forrest and Kana.

They kept pace with Corrin, Forrest easily bounding across the grassy field in graceful strides. Kana’s movements weren’t as smooth, almost clumsy, but he kept up nevertheless. And underneath their feet, water splashed, spraying the grass with small droplets. Their armor gleamed in the sun, wings tucked against their sides.

It suddenly struck him how unbelievably incredible this moment was. He was riding on the back of a dragon, watching two more run next to him, the wind ruffling his hair and droplets spraying the earth. His throat grew thick as he watched them race through camp.

This was his _family._

And he was with them, as he should have been from the start.

They drew farther and farther away from camp, bounding past trees and boulders, leaping over streams and fallen logs. And though the sight of nature flying past him was incredible, he pressed his face against Corrin’s neck. “Thank you,” he breathed. It was so soft that she couldn’t possibly hear him over the sound of their running, but a soft hum still rumbled through her chest, vibrating through his entire body and filling him with warmth.

Soon enough they reached the top of an outcropping of rock, and he stared, speechless, at the world lying below. The sun shone above them, illuminating green trees and shining rivers. It was a sight he could have never found in Nohr, and he found himself sliding off Corrin’s back, his feet approaching the edge of the rock to get a better look. _Wow,_ Kana breathed. _Look, Mama! Camp’s way down there!_

 _It’s an amazing sight,_ Forrest agreed.

Leo smiled as he caught a glimpse of blue light, and a warm hand slipped into his. “I’ve always wanted to take you up here,” Corrin murmured, her crimson eyes sparkling.

“Then I’m glad I came,” he said softly. His lips pressed against her cheek. “Thank you.”

A pair of small arms suddenly tightened around his waist, and he smiled as he placed his hand on Kana’s head, ruffling his hair. Forrest chuckled softly, then joined them, his silver curls gleaming in the bright sunlight.

And as Leo stood there, he didn’t feel alone anymore.

He suspected he would never feel that way again.

 

* * *

 

There were certain things Leo discovered about Corrin after they were married. Certain facts that he hadn’t known before, simply because their proximity wasn’t close enough to allow it. But there was one fact he’d known ever since he’d met eyes with her, a fact that had been reaffirmed with every laugh and smile and glimpse into his children’s eyes.

She was wonderful.

And he was very, very lucky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, we're at the end of the story. Thank you for reading, commenting, and leaving kudos! I truly appreciate it.
> 
> This little bundle of stories is dedicated to my dad. Thanks for reading, giving constructive criticism, and inadvertently giving me the ending to this story. I love you very much.
> 
> Though I gave it a small bit of thought, I still haven't been able to figure out why Corrin dances on water in battle. It just seems to come out of nowhere, and it's a cool visual effect, but it doesn't seem to have a purpose. Besides, Leo isn't going to figure out absolutely everything about Corrin's dragon form in this story. He's a smart cookie, but it takes time. He did figure out all those nice scratch spots, though. (Dragons are really just giant armored cats, didn't you know?)
> 
> Thanks once again! I hope you enjoyed it.  
> Chrono Xtreme


End file.
